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Altria Group, Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 29 January 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 4 new, 4 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Full-year adjusted EPS rose 4.4%: Full-year adjusted diluted EPS rose 4.4% to $5.42. Management tied the rise to higher adjusted OCI, fewer shares and a lower adjusted tax rate, partly offset by lower pension income and higher financing costs. Source
  • Quarterly smokeable revenue fell on volume: Smokeable net revenues fell 2.7% in the fourth quarter on lower shipment volume and higher promotional investments, partly offset by higher pricing. Source
  • Quarterly oral margin fell on SG&A: Fourth-quarter adjusted oral OCI fell 4.6% and margin fell 5.0 points to 64.5%, on higher SG&A and lower volume and mix, partly offset by pricing. Source
  • Discount brands gained share: Fourth-quarter cigarette discount share reached 32.9%, up 2.6 points, which management linked to continued discretionary income pressures on ANCs. Source
  • E-vapor impairments drove charges: Asset impairment, exit and implementation costs were $1.3 billion in the fourth quarter ($0.61 per share) and $2.2 billion for 2025, mostly from e-vapor goodwill and intangibles. Source
  • Returns reached $8 billion in 2025: Management said dividends and buybacks together returned $8 billion in 2025, with dividends totaling $7.0 billion for the year. Source
  • On! PLUS authorized in three flavors: FDA authorized on! PLUS in mint, wintergreen and tobacco at 6 and 9 milligram strengths in December 2025. Source

“For the full year, we grew adjusted diluted earnings per share by 4.4% and returned $8 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases combined.”

Billy Gifford, Altria’s Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Adjusted diluted EPS Sourcefull year 2026$5.56 to $5.72 (growth of 2.5% to 5.5% from a $5.42 base)New
Adjusted effective tax rate Sourcefull year 202622.5% to 23.5%New
Capital expenditures Sourcefull year 2026$300 million to $375 millionNew
Depreciation and amortization Sourcefull year 2026approximately $225 millionNew
Optimize & Accelerate cumulative savings Sourcethrough end of 2029at least $600 millionKept
Optimize & Accelerate pre-tax charges SourceInitiative, through 2029approximately $175 millionRaised from approximately $125 million
Adjusted diluted EPS CAGR from 2022 base Source2028mid-single digits, from a $4.87 baseKept
Debt to Consolidated EBITDA Sourcetargetapproximately 2.0xKept
Total adjusted OCI margin Sourceeach year through 2028at least 60%Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Management began 2026 full-year adjusted diluted EPS guidance at $5.56 to $5.72. Source
  • Guidance raised: Estimated pre-tax Initiative charges were updated upward, to about $175 million from about $125 million. Source
  • New: e-vapor products became a separate reportable segment, previously included in the all other category, with prior periods recast. Source
  • New: FDA marketing authorizations were received for on! PLUS in three flavors at 6 and 9 milligram strengths. Source
  • New: Management is reassessing its U.S. smoke-free goals and will provide updated goals later. Source

Full-year and fourth-quarter results

  • Full-year adjusted EPS rose 4.4%: Full-year adjusted diluted EPS rose 4.4% to $5.42. Management tied the rise to higher adjusted OCI, fewer shares and a lower adjusted tax rate, partly offset by lower pension income and higher financing costs. Source
  • Fourth-quarter adjusted EPS held flat: Fourth-quarter adjusted diluted EPS was flat at $1.30, with a lower tax rate and fewer shares offsetting lower adjusted OCI. Reported diluted EPS fell to $0.66, mainly from e-vapor impairments. Source
  • Net revenues fell 2.1% in quarter: Fourth-quarter net revenues fell 2.1% to $5.8 billion. Full-year net revenues fell 3.1% to $23.3 billion. Both declines were led by smokeable products. Source

Smokeable products

  • Quarterly smokeable revenue fell on volume: Smokeable net revenues fell 2.7% in the fourth quarter on lower shipment volume and higher promotional investments, partly offset by higher pricing. Source
  • Full-year smokeable margin rose: Full-year adjusted smokeable OCI margin rose to 63.4%, reflecting higher pricing and lower per unit settlement charges, partly offset by lower volume and higher promotions. Source
  • Quarterly smokeable OCI declined: Fourth-quarter adjusted smokeable OCI fell 2.4%, with margin down 0.8 points to 60.4%, as volume, promotions, settlement charges and costs outweighed higher pricing. Source
  • Cigarette volume down about 7% adjusted: Adjusted for trade inventory movements, fourth-quarter domestic cigarette volume fell an estimated 7%, against a reported decline of 7.9%. Source

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to our Vision and to building a portfolio of FDA-authorized smoke-free products for adult smokers and ANCs currently using smoke-free products.”

Altria Group, Inc., press release

Oral tobacco and on!

  • Quarterly oral margin fell on SG&A: Fourth-quarter adjusted oral OCI fell 4.6% and margin fell 5.0 points to 64.5%, on higher SG&A and lower volume and mix, partly offset by pricing. Source
  • Oral industry volume rose on pouches: Total oral industry volume rose an estimated 14% in the six months to December 31, 2025, mainly from nicotine pouches, while MST volume declined. Source
  • On! share of pouches fell: on! held 7.7% of the U.S. oral category in the fourth quarter, down 1.0 point, while nicotine pouches reached 56.9% of oral tobacco, up 10.4 points. Source

Demand and retail share

  • Discount brands gained share: Fourth-quarter cigarette discount share reached 32.9%, up 2.6 points, which management linked to continued discretionary income pressures on ANCs. Source
  • Marlboro share slipped in quarter: Marlboro held 39.8% of cigarettes in the fourth quarter, down 1.5 points on the year and 0.6 points sequentially; its premium share was 59.2%. Source
  • Industry volume down an estimated 6.5%: Adjusted for trade inventory movements and other factors, total estimated domestic cigarette industry volume fell an estimated 6.5% in the quarter. Source

Costs, charges and margins

  • E-vapor impairments drove charges: Asset impairment, exit and implementation costs were $1.3 billion in the fourth quarter ($0.61 per share) and $2.2 billion for 2025, mostly from e-vapor goodwill and intangibles. Source
  • Full-year total OCI margins reported: Reported total OCI margin was 51.1% for 2025 and adjusted total OCI margin was 62.4%. The difference reflects the special items listed in the release. Source
  • Initiative savings exclude charges: Management is adding the final Initiative phases, and its savings estimates exclude roughly $175 million of pre-tax charges. Source

2026 guidance assumptions

  • Guidance assumes NJOY ACE stays out: Guidance assumes planned contract manufacturing investment, limited illicit-enforcement impact on volumes, and that NJOY ACE does not return to the marketplace in 2026. Source
  • Vision investments sit inside EPS range: Management said the EPS range includes planned Vision investments in smoke-free marketplace activity, research and regulatory preparation, net of Initiative savings. Source

Capital and shareholder returns

  • Returns reached $8 billion in 2025: Management said dividends and buybacks together returned $8 billion in 2025, with dividends totaling $7.0 billion for the year. Source
  • Fourth-quarter buyback pace: The company bought back 4.8 million shares in the fourth quarter at an average $59.56, a $288 million cost. Full-year repurchases were 17.1 million shares, or $1 billion. Source
  • Dividend raised 3.9%: The Board raised the dividend 3.9% in 2025, the 60th increase in 56 years, under the progressive dividend goal. Source
  • Year-end leverage ratios reported: Year-end debt was 3.7 times Consolidated Net Earnings and 2.0 times Consolidated EBITDA, against total debt of $25.7 billion and cash of $4.5 billion. Source

Smoke-free portfolio and growth bets

  • On! PLUS authorized in three flavors: FDA authorized on! PLUS in mint, wintergreen and tobacco at 6 and 9 milligram strengths in December 2025. Source
  • FUMi expands in international markets: FUMi competes across 40,000 retail locations in seven international markets with 12 flavor offerings. Source
  • Proper Wild reached 25,000 stores: Altria Group Distribution Company provides sales and distribution services to Proper Wild, which reached over 25,000 stores in 2025 in non-nicotine efforts. Source

Coming up, as management said on 29 January 2026

  • Six-flavor on! PLUS applications pending: Helix's applications for six more on! PLUS flavors across three nicotine strengths were submitted in November 2025 and are pending. Source
  • 12 milligram on! PLUS still under review: The 12 milligram on! PLUS variants still await an FDA decision. Source
  • Smoke-free goals to be updated: Management expects to provide updated smoke-free goals once the legitimate e-vapor market is clearer. Source
  • 2026 EPS growth weighted to second half: Management expects 2026 adjusted EPS growth to be weighted to the second half as cigarette import and export activity rises through the year. Source
  • Buyback program expires end-2026: About $1 billion remains under the $2 billion repurchase program, which expires at the end of 2026, subject to Board discretion. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Domestic cigarette shipment volume, full year Source61,752 million sticks, down 10.0%
Domestic oral tobacco shipment volume, full year Source732.4 million cans, down 5.5%
Marlboro retail share of total cigarettes, full year Source40.5%
On! share of U.S. oral tobacco category, full year Source8.2%

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management cited continued income pressure on adult nicotine consumers pushing buyers toward discount brands, with discount share up 2.2 points for the year. Source
  • Demand: Management cited market disruption from illicit e-vapor products that have evaded the regulatory process, which it said led it to reassess smoke-free goals. Source
  • Regulatory: ITC orders prohibit importing and selling NJOY ACE in the United States. Related expenses were partly offset by insurance recoveries tied to the NJOY acquisition. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • On track: Management says the Initiative is performing in line with its original expectations. Source
  • Not stated: Management says it continues to expect the savings target, which it set in October 2024. Source
  • Met: Management estimates the company achieved an industry-leading share of the U.S. nicotine space in 2025. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.