01:00 PM EDT, 07/30/2025 (MT Newswires) -- CFRA, an independent research provider, has provided MT Newswires with the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:

We raise our 12-month target by $2 to $52, based on a 2026 P/E of 9.4x and a justified discount to its five-year mean forward P/E of 9.6x. We raise our adjusted 2025 EPS estimate by $0.10 to $5.45 and 2026's by $0.05 to $5.55. MO posted Q2 adjusted EPS of $1.44 vs. $1.33 (+8%), well above the $1.38 consensus. The beat was driven by the top line, as net revenue rose 0.2% to $5.29B ($100M above consensus) due to higher price realizations as volumes declined 9.9% for smokeable products and 1.0% for oral tobacco. Gross margin expanded 320 bps to 72.8%. MO raised its full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $5.35-$5.45 from $5.30-$5.45, with the midpoint slightly above the $5.38 consensus, implying Y/Y growth of 3%-5%. We maintain our Sell rating, as MO's smokeable volumes continue to decline at a staggering rate and the company's smokeless brands (e.g., on!) aren't growing as fast as some of its competitors to help offset. Additionally, MO's 2025 share price performance has significantly outpaced expected EPS growth.