Jim Cramer Says He "Personally Would Not Own Altria (MO)"

We recently published a list of 15 Stocks on Jim Cramer’s Radar. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) stands against other stocks that Jim Cramer discusses.

Answering a caller’s query about Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO), Cramer commented:

“Alright, but here’s, okay, so I’m going to give you two answers to this because I’ve been trying to change my mind about some things…. I personally would not own Altria. Why? Because I don’t like what they do. Is it a superior stock better than most? The answer is, as I was writing How to Make Money in Any Market, the answer is yes. So you’ve got two answers. It’s up to you. I couldn’t own it for my trust. I couldn’t live with myself.”

Altria (NYSE:MO) produces and markets a range of tobacco and nicotine products, including cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, nicotine pouches, and e-vapor devices, sold under brands like Marlboro, Black & Mild, Copenhagen, and NJOY ACE. Andvari Associates stated the following regarding Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in its Q1 2025 investor letter:

“Last year, Andvari made its first investments in tobacco companies with the purchase of Philip Morris International and Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO). At the time of our purchase, Philip Morris and Altria had underperformed the S&P 500 over the prior 5- and 10-year periods. Both traded at low valuations and with high dividend yields. But thanks to following the industry o and on for 10+ years, and thanks to many discussions with long-time shareholders of the companies, Andvari felt the time was right to make the plunge. The timing could not have been much better for us as both companies have so far contributed positively to Andvari’s recent overall performance.

The problem—or the feature, depending on your perspective—with the tobacco industry has been a declining population of cigarette smokers in developed countries. Over the last four or five years, the decline in these smoking populations has accelerated, which in part explains the poor share performance of the tobacco companies between 2017 and 2023. Despite this, the tobacco companies have maintained, or slowly increased, their revenues and profits with regular price increases on cigarettes…” (Click here to read the full text)

Overall, MO ranks 8th on our list of stocks that Jim Cramer discusses. While we acknowledge the potential of MO as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.

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