Altria Group price target lowered to $53 from $54 at Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley lowered the firm’s price target on Altria Group (MO) to $53 from $54 and keeps an Equal Weight rating on the shares. Shares closed down about 2% following Altria’s slight Q4 EPS beat, soft 2025 guidance, and the unfavorable NJOY patent litigation ruling, the analyst noted. The firm cites continued elevated Smokable volume declines and a limited reduced-risk portfolio, exacerbated by the NJOY litigation loss, offset by Altria’s “solid financial flexibility,” for its Equal Weight rating, adding that it prefer Philip Morris International (PM) in tobacco with an Overweight rating