Altria Group, Inc. (MO) is a major tobacco manufacturer in the US, with a market cap of $112.8 billion. The company offers popular brands like Marlboro and Black & Mild. It is considered a large-cap stock, with investments in Anheuser-Busch InBev and Cronos Group.

MO stock has seen fluctuations but remains above its moving averages. Shares have risen 10.4% in the past three months and 27.4% YTD. Despite some drops in the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund, Altria has shown strong performance.

Altria’s Q2 results beat expectations, with adjusted EPS of $1.44 and revenue of $5.3 billion. Strong demand for on! nicotine pouches offset drops in other segments. The company raised its annual EPS guidance to $5.35 – $5.45. However, rival Turning Point Brands has outperformed MO stock.

Analysts are cautious about Altria’s performance compared to peers, with a consensus rating of “Hold.” Despite positive Q2 results, MO stock has not matched the growth of its competitors. The stock is currently trading above the mean price target of $61.45.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: How Is Altria Group’s Stock Performance Compared to Other Consumer Defensive Stocks?