Gold Just Crossed $4,800 — What Wall Street Is Preparing For Next

Gold didn’t edge higher.

It broke through $4,800 — forcing a quiet reassessment across Wall Street.

After climbing more than 65% in 2025, gold is already up over 12% early in 2026.

For perspective: the S&P; 500 gained roughly 17% last year in total. Investors who stayed stock-heavy didn’t just miss gold’s move — they fell further behind.

When gold enters new highs, the next phase tends to move quickly.

Early investors reposition.

Latecomers are left chasing higher prices.

Behind the scenes, institutions are now stress-testing scenarios most retail investors haven’t considered yet: $6,000 gold. Even $7,000.

This isn’t hype. It’s driven by mounting debt, renewed trade pressures, and central banks steadily reducing reliance on the dollar.

That’s exactly why we created the Gold & Silver Playbook — a clear, practical guide to how experienced investors are positioning before this shift becomes obvious.

Inside, you’ll discover:

• Where investors are moving into gold and silver right now
• How precious metals can be added to IRAs and 401(k)s without triggering tax penalties
• What history shows typically follows once gold enters true price discovery

The longer you wait, the more expensive it becomes to get positioned.

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More Reading from MarketBeat.com

Is Altria Becoming More Than an Income Stock?

Reported by Chris Markoch. Originally Published: 2/1/2026. 

In Brief

• Altria’s stock is gaining momentum as strong cash flow, pricing power, and disciplined capital returns support both dividend stability and potential price appreciation.
• A nearly 7% yield and consistent EPS growth guidance position MO as an attractive option for investors seeking reliable income with upside potential.
• Next-generation products like on! nicotine pouches and NJOY are fueling a shifting narrative, suggesting Altria could evolve from a defensive play into a balanced income-and-growth stock.

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE: MO) stock is off to a strong start in 2026, up more than 7.3%. However, MO fell nearly 3% in midday trading on Jan. 29 after the company’s earnings were essentially flat year-over-year (YOY).

Heading into the report, the question was whether Altria could shift investor sentiment from a defensive income play to a revival story that attracts growth investors.

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At roughly 11x forward earnings and backed by one of the market’s most dependable dividends, Altria appears undervalued relative to its stability and cash generation. If EPS growth trends hold above 3% annually, investors could see total returns exceeding 10–12% through a combination of price recovery and the company’s robust dividend.

As bond and money-market yields taper with easing inflation, equity income names like Altria should see renewed inflows. The stock’s technical reversal, improving growth narrative, and disciplined capital policy suggest investors might finally get what they’ve been waiting for: capital appreciation alongside a market-crushing yield.

For long-term holders, Altria’s story is evolving. Once prized primarily for its dividend, the stock is regaining foundational strength backed by steady innovation and fresh momentum. For patient shareholders, this Dividend King may again prove that income and growth need not be mutually exclusive.

Strong Fundamentals Support a Valuation Reset

In Altria’s Q4 2025 earnings report, management navigated a challenging year marked by persistent inflation and evolving tobacco regulations and reaffirmed full-year adjusted EPS growth guidance in the 2–4% range. That level of consistency is notable for a mature consumer staples business and reinforces Altria’s reputation for reliability as investors refocus on income-generating equities in a lower-rate environment.

Revenue stability was again anchored by smokeable products, which remain the profit engine as cigarette volumes decline. Price increases, disciplined cost control, and share buybacks help offset volume pressures.

Altria’s pricing power remains strong. Net revenue in the quarter of roughly $5 billion demonstrated resilience and supported gross margins near 70%. Meanwhile, operating income growth and a capital-efficient structure enabled the company to generate strong cash flows to fund dividends and reduce debt.

Dividend Power and Capital Discipline Continue to Attract Income Investors

Altria’s dividend growth and capital return policies remain central to the investment case.

Management raised the annual dividend for the 59th consecutive year in 2025, marking nearly six decades of uninterrupted growth.

The current yield, at 6.98% as of this writing, is among the most generous of any Dividend King and across consumer staples stocks.

The payout is well supported by cash flow. Altria generated more than $8 billion in operating cash flow during 2025 and maintained a payout ratio around 75% of adjusted EPS, leaving room for reinvestment and share repurchases.

The company repurchased approximately $1 billion of stock in 2025 and increased its repurchase authorization for 2026.

Strategic Moves Fuel the Next Phase of Growth

Beyond the attractive dividend yield, Altria’s growth strategy is gaining attention. Its smokeless and next-generation product portfolio, led by on! nicotine pouches, continues to capture market share and has posted double-digit volume growth. Management expects on! to become a material earnings contributor within a few years, helping to offset cigarette declines.

Altria’s U.S.-focused approach, combined with regulatory engagement and partnerships in alternative nicotine delivery, positions the company for sustainable, innovation-led growth. In its presentation, management highlighted progress integrating its NJOY acquisition and advancing product submissions to the FDA, reinforcing long-term positioning in reduced-risk nicotine alternatives.

Technical Picture: Bulls Taking the Lead

As noted above, MO stock shows growing bullish momentum. After a steep correction through late 2025 that bottomed near $56 (confirming a deep support level hit in April and May 2025), shares have rebounded sharply.

The 50-day simple moving average (SMA), now at $58.97, has turned upward, signaling a short-term trend reversal. The stock’s breakout above that line suggests improving sentiment and a potential continuation toward the $64–66 resistance zone seen last fall, a range slightly above the consensus price target of $63.

Momentum indicators reinforce the uptrend. The MACD has crossed above its signal line, with expanding positive histogram bars. Volume has also picked up during recent advances, hinting that institutional accumulation may be underway.

Short-term traders may view pullbacks toward $59 as buy-the-dip opportunities, while long-term investors could see the current level as an attractive entry point ahead of dividend reinvestment season in February.

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