Group 1: Company Performance - Altria's stock closed at $57.89, reflecting a +1.35% increase from the previous day, outperforming the S&P 500's daily loss of 4.84% [1] - Over the past month, Altria's shares gained 2.09%, underperforming the Consumer Staples sector's gain of 5.4% but outperforming the S&P 500's loss of 4.7% [1] Group 2: Upcoming Financial Results - Altria is set to announce its earnings on April 29, 2025, with an anticipated EPS of $1.19, representing a 3.48% increase from the same quarter last year [2] - Revenue is expected to be $4.66 billion, indicating a 1.11% decline compared to the year-ago quarter [2] Group 3: Fiscal Year Estimates - For the entire fiscal year, earnings are projected at $5.32 per share and revenue at $20.44 billion, reflecting changes of +3.91% and -0.03% respectively from the previous year [3] - Recent revisions to analyst forecasts for Altria are important as they indicate changing business trends, with positive revisions suggesting analyst optimism [3] Group 4: Valuation Metrics - Altria has a Forward P/E ratio of 10.74, which aligns with the industry average [6] - The company has a PEG ratio of 3.04, compared to the Tobacco industry's average PEG ratio of 2.85 [6] Group 5: Industry Context - The Tobacco industry is part of the Consumer Staples sector and holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 52, placing it in the top 21% of over 250 industries [7] - The Zacks Industry Rank measures the strength of industry groups, with the top 50% rated industries outperforming the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1 [7]

Core Viewpoint - Altria Group's stock price declined nearly 3% following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that negatively impacts the company's interests in flavored vapes, contrasting with the S&P 500's increase of 0.7% on the same day [1]. Group 1: Supreme Court Ruling - The Supreme Court ruled against an appeals court decision that claimed the FDA acted unlawfully in rejecting applications from Triton Distribution and Vapetasia for flavored vape products [2]. - The appeals court had previously asserted that the FDA violated the law by changing rules during the approval process for flavored vapes [3]. - The Supreme Court's decision sends the case back to the appeals court for further review, which may affect the regulatory landscape for flavored vapes [3]. Group 2: Impact on Altria - Although Altria is not directly involved in the case, the company has a vested interest in the outcome due to its reliance on next-generation products like vapes amid declining traditional cigarette consumption [4]. - A favorable ruling for the FDA in this regulatory process diminishes Altria's prospects in the flavored vape market [4]. - Despite the challenges, Altria's management has experience navigating regulatory issues and will adapt to the new developments, although current trends are not favorable for the company [5].

During times of turbulence and uncertainty in the markets, many investors turn to dividend-yielding stocks. These are often companies that have high free cash flows and reward shareholders with a high dividend payout.Benzinga readers can review the latest analyst takes on their favorite stocks by visiting Analyst Stock Ratings page. Traders can sort through Benzinga's extensive database of analyst ratings, including by analyst accuracy.Below are the ratings of the most accurate analysts for three high-yield ...

Core Viewpoint - Altria offers a high dividend yield of 7%, significantly above the S&P 500 average of 1.3%, but faces growth challenges and modest dividend increases, while Eli Lilly provides a lower yield of less than 1% but has shown impressive dividend growth [1][2]. Group 1: Dividend Performance - Altria has raised its dividend for 55 consecutive years, while Eli Lilly's streak began in 2015, indicating a longer history for Altria but not necessarily better growth potential [2]. - In the past five years, Altria's dividend has increased by just over 21%, whereas Eli Lilly's dividends have doubled, showcasing a stark difference in growth rates [4]. Group 2: Stock Performance and Valuation - Eli Lilly's stock has surged by 476% over the past five years, compared to Altria's 52% increase, which lags behind the S&P 500's more than 116% return [5]. - The high performance of Eli Lilly's stock has led to a lower yield, as the stock becomes more expensive relative to its dividend payouts [5]. Group 3: Future Growth Potential - Eli Lilly is experiencing significant growth, particularly in the GLP-1 weight loss market, while Altria faces uncertainty due to declining tobacco use [6]. - Long-term investors may find Eli Lilly to be a better dividend stock despite its current lower yield, as Altria risks potential dividend cuts if profits decline [7][9]. Group 4: Market Outlook - Eli Lilly's elevated valuation may limit future returns, but if returns moderate and the company continues to increase dividends, its yield could rise, making it an attractive long-term investment [8].

Core Viewpoint - The article highlights three companies—Altria, Verizon, and Chubb Limited—that are considered insulated from the impact of tariffs proposed by the Trump administration, making them attractive investment options in an unpredictable market [1][2]. Group 1: Altria - Altria is the largest tobacco company in America, controlling 45.9% of the U.S. retail cigarette market in 2024, and has diversified into smokeless products [4][6]. - Despite declining adult smoking rates, Altria has managed to maintain profitability through price increases, cost-cutting, and share buybacks, with analysts projecting a 4% EPS growth in 2025 and 3% in 2026 [5][6]. - The stock trades at 11 times forward earnings and offers a forward dividend yield of 7.1%, having raised its payout annually since 2008, making it appealing to income-oriented investors [6][7]. Group 2: Verizon - Verizon is a major telecom company that generates most of its profits from domestic wireless and wireline services, making it less vulnerable to tariffs [8]. - In 2024, Verizon saw a significant recovery, more than doubling its postpaid phone net additions and reducing its total wireless churn rate to 1.62%, attributed to localized marketing and customizable plans [9]. - Analysts expect Verizon's adjusted EPS to grow by 2% in 2025 and 4% in 2026, with the stock trading at 9 times forward earnings and a forward yield of 6.1%, having raised its payout for 18 consecutive years [10]. Group 3: Chubb Limited - Chubb is the largest publicly traded provider of various insurance policies, which are not directly affected by tariffs, as insurance companies do not engage in import/export activities [11]. - Chubb's core operating income per share rose by 30% in 2023 and 13% in 2024, with consolidated net premiums increasing by 13.5% in 2023 and 8.7% in 2024 [12]. - The stock trades at 14 times forward earnings, offers a forward dividend yield of 1.2%, and has raised its payout for 32 consecutive years, making it a stable investment option [13].

Core Viewpoint - Altria's stock price has appreciated by 43.48% since early 2024, driven by a bullish thesis based on two core arguments [1]. Group 1: Stock Performance - The stock price increase of 43.48% occurred before any dividends were accounted for [1]. Group 2: Investment Thesis - The bullish thesis on Altria is based on two main arguments, although the specific arguments are not detailed in the provided text [1].

Core Insights - Altria is facing significant challenges as cigarette demand declines, which is its primary revenue source, while management emphasizes potential opportunities that may indicate the company is lagging behind [1][10] Business Overview - Altria's main business revolves around cigarette sales, which constituted 88% of its revenues in 2024, with cigarettes making up nearly 98% of smokeable tobacco volumes [2] Financial Performance - Cigarette volumes have been declining for years, with a notable drop of 10.2% in 2024; however, price increases have mitigated revenue losses, resulting in a 1.3% revenue decline and a 3.4% rise in adjusted earnings [3] - The company raised its dividend in 2024, reflecting a high dividend yield of approximately 7%, which attracts dividend investors despite the negative trends in its core business [4] Market Trends - The number of smokers in the U.S. decreased from 34 million in 2019 to 28 million in 2024, while non-combustible product users remained stable at around 8 million; however, non-combustible-only consumers surged from 11 million to 18 million, marking a 60% growth [5][6] Strategic Missteps - Altria has made several strategic errors, including spinning off Philip Morris International, which left it vulnerable in a declining cigarette market and created new competition in the non-combustible space [7] - Investments in Juul and a marijuana company resulted in significant write-offs, and while the recent acquisition of NJOY shows better sales performance, it faces patent litigation with Juul [8] Growth Opportunities - Non-combustible products are increasingly important, yet Altria has not capitalized on this trend, with non-smokeable products accounting for only 11.7% of revenues in 2024, down from 12.4% in 2019, despite the non-combustible category growing significantly [9][10]

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Core Viewpoint - Altria is a reliable dividend-paying company with a long history of increasing its per-share payout, making it an attractive option for dividend income investors [1][2]. Dividend Performance - Altria has consistently paid dividends every quarter for decades and has raised its quarterly dividend payment for 55 consecutive years, with some years seeing two increases [1][2]. - The current quarterly dividend payment is $1.02 per share, and to achieve $1,000 in dividend income by 2025, an investor would need to own 245 shares, subject to potential changes in the dividend rate [2]. - The average yearly growth in Altria's quarterly dividend since 1989 has been over 6.5%, with the most recent increase being just under 4.1% [3]. Business Outlook - Altria, which owns popular U.S. cigarette brands like Marlboro and Virginia Slims, acknowledges the challenges posed by the global smoking-cessation movement and modest demand for smokeless alternatives [4]. - Despite potential future challenges, the company is expected to maintain its dividend payments for the foreseeable future, supported by population growth and a solid forward-looking dividend yield of 7.1% [5].