01:05 PM EDT, 10/30/2025 (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 lower our 12-month target by $2 of $50, based on a 2026 P/E of 9.0x and a justified discount to its five-year mean forward P/E of 9.6x. We lower our 2025 adjusted EPS estimate by $0.03 to $5.42, maintain 2026's at $5.55, and introduce 2027's at $5.70. Following an in-line quarter but revised guidance that implied weaker-than-expected Q4 earnings, we reiterate our Sell opinion on the shares. Our biggest concern remains the company's sluggish top line, as MO's net revenue declined by 1.7%. While smokeable products have been in secular decline for a while and the 8.0% drop in shipments was not surprising, we found the decline in oral tobacco volumes (-9.6%) concerning. With top-line declines likely to continue and a lack of identifiable catalysts, we see more downside for the shares in the coming months, although MO's attractive dividend yield could lend some support. As it noted, lapping benefits from the 2024 share repurchase program and Master Settlement Agreement legal fund expiration are EPS headwinds.