In the latest trading session, Altria (MO) closed at $53.77, marking a +0.77% move from the previous day. This change lagged the S&P 500's 1.01% gain on the day. Meanwhile, the Dow gained 0.55%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, added 1.13%.

Shares of the owner of Philip Morris USA, the nation's largest cigarette maker have appreciated by 6.68% over the course of the past month, outperforming the Consumer Staples sector's gain of 2.98% and the S&P 500's gain of 2.5%.

Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Altria in its upcoming earnings disclosure. In that report, analysts expect Altria to post earnings of $1.35 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 5.47%. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $5.32 billion, up 0.86% from the year-ago period.

Regarding the entire year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates forecast earnings of $5.10 per share and revenue of $20.34 billion, indicating changes of +3.03% and -0.81%, respectively, compared to the previous year.

Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Altria should also be noted by investors. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the company's business and profitability.

Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, spanning from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), boasts an impressive track record of outperformance, audited externally, with #1 ranked stocks yielding an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.2% lower. At present, Altria boasts a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

In terms of valuation, Altria is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 10.46. This expresses no noticeable deviation compared to the average Forward P/E of 10.46 of its industry.

We can additionally observe that MO currently boasts a PEG ratio of 3.1. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. MO's industry had an average PEG ratio of 2.19 as of yesterday's close.

The Tobacco industry is part of the Consumer Staples sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 23, putting it in the top 10% of all 250+ industries.