Jan 29 (Reuters) - Tobacco company Altria MO.N forecast full-year profit above analysts' estimates on Thursday, on the back of price hikes for its cigarette and oral tobacco products.

The company's shares were down about 2% in premarket trading. In 2025, Altria shares were down about 10%.

Altria and rival tobacco companies have looked to smoking alternatives such as vapes and nicotine pouches to shore up revenue as health concerns curb cigarette use.

But the transition has been bumpy, with Altria's foray into new categories facing setbacks, most recently an import block on its NJOY e-cigarette brand over a patent dispute.

Altria does not expect NJOY to return to the marketplace in 2026. It also expects limited impact from efforts to crack down on a booming market for unregulated vapes in the U.S., which have hurt both cigarette and e-cigarette sales at Altria and peers alike.

Demand for its nicotine pouch label On!, meanwhile, has slowed amid growing competition from rivals such as British American Tobacco's BATS.L Velo.

With sales of Altria's traditional tobacco products in decline and Altria battling to grow sales of newer products such as vapes, price hikes have remained a key lever to preserve margins.

The company expects annual adjusted earnings of $5.56 to $5.72 per share for 2026, the midpoint of which is higher than analysts' estimate of $5.58, as per LSEG data.

The Richmond, Virginia-based company reported adjusted earnings of $1.30 per share for the fourth quarter, slightly lower than analysts' estimates of $1.32 per share.

Its smokeable product revenue was down 2.7%, while the quarterly shipment volume for cigarettes fell 7.9%.

Altria's CEO Billy Gifford will retire in May after more than five years at the helm. He will be succeeded by finance chief Salvatore Mancuso.

(Reporting by Angela Christy in Bengaluru and Emma Rumney in London; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar and Krishna Chandra Eluri)

((AngelaChristy.M@thomsonreuters.com;))