Altria Group Inc. Q3 Profit Increases, Beats Estimates

(RTTNews) - Altria Group Inc. (MO) revealed a profit for its third quarter that increased from the same period last year and beat the Street estimates.

The company's earnings came in at $2.293 billion, or $1.34 per share. This compares with $2.166 billion, or $1.22 per share, in last year's third quarter.

Excluding items, Altria Group Inc. reported adjusted earnings of $2.357 billion or $1.38 per share for the period.

Analysts on average had expected the company to earn $1.35 per share, according to figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

The company's revenue for the quarter fell 0.4% to $6.259 billion from $6.281 billion last year.

Altria Group Inc. earnings at a glance (GAAP) :

-Earnings (Q3): $2.293 Bln. vs. $2.166 Bln. last year. -EPS (Q3): $1.34 vs. $1.22 last year. -Revenue (Q3): $6.259 Bln vs. $6.281 Bln last year.

-Guidance: Full year EPS guidance: $5.07 to $5.15