Tobacco Giant Altria (MO) Increases Dividend as Stifel Maintains Positive Outlook

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) ranks among the best sin stocks to buy right now. Stifel maintained a Buy rating on Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) shares on August 21 and raised its price target from $65 to $72. The upgrade comes after Altria’s board of directors approved a 3.9% hike in the company’s quarterly dividend to $1.06 from the previous $1.02. This increases the payout ratio to 78% based on fiscal year 2025 expected earnings per share, representing an annual payout of $4.24.

Since the company’s 2008 split, Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) has increased its dividend annually at a compound annual growth rate of around 8%, marginally surpassing its steady EPS growth trajectory during that time. Given the tobacco giant’s robust free cash flow generation, Stifel anticipates medium-term dividend growth in the mid-single digits.

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) is a prominent American company that produces and markets tobacco, cigarettes, and associated products on a global scale. The firm has also ventured into next-generation nicotine products, such as oral nicotine pouches and electronic vaping devices.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.