MO Stock: Is Marlboro Maker Altria A Buy After Dividend Hike?

Altria (MO) connected Thursday said it would summation its quarterly dividend by 4.7% to 90 cents per share. The banal is besides successful a base. But the FDA is progressively asking e-cigarette manufacturers to warrant their existence, with large implications for Altria's concern successful Juul. So should you bargain MO banal now?

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The company, champion known for selling Marlboros successful the U.S., successful July reported second-quarter results that bushed expectations. The baccy elephantine besides raised the debased extremity of its full-year nett outlook.

Altria said the much upbeat forecast came connected "continued assurance successful our baccy businesses," investments successful smoke-free products and its determination successful July to merchantability its Ste. Michelle Wine Estates vino concern to a backstage equity steadfast for astir $1.2 billion.

However, Altria's efforts to go little of a accepted cigaret institution person deed a snag. The institution said Philip Morris USA, which it owns, had delayed further enlargement of its Iqos and Marlboro HeatStick heat-not-burn baccy products. Altria cited the "uncertainty" stemming from a patent infringement lawsuit arsenic the reason.

The institution has besides faced questions astir cigaret request amid rising wellness consciousness. While customers clung to their smoking habits past twelvemonth amid the accent of the coronavirus pandemic, struggles proceed astatine vaping startup Juul.

Juul Scrutiny, Cronos Group

Altria in precocious 2018 said it took a 35% involvement successful Juul. But Juul's nett and income expectations person faded. Competition and allegations implicit misleading wellness claims and efforts to people younger consumers person piled up.

The FDA is besides weighing whether to let Juul's products to beryllium sold successful the U.S.

The bureau asked vaping-products makers to taxable an exertion showing their products were healthier than cigarettes. The submission deadline was past September. The FDA is present racing to find by Sept. 9 of this twelvemonth which applicants' products — from hundreds of companies, with millions of products — tin inactive beryllium sold.

The FDA this period already denied applications for flavored e-cigarette products from 3 companies. The bureau said businesses whose applications were rejected had to halt selling those products oregon hazard enforcement.

Elsewhere, North Carolina's attorney wide precocious said that Juul had agreed to wage the authorities $40 cardinal and undertake different income restrictions. Lawsuits against Juul from astir a twelve different states person made astir the aforesaid accusations.

Altria and Juul, successful a little filed this period aft an FTC administrative trial, argued against FTC lawyers who alleged Altria stifled contention by investing successful Juul.

Altria has besides invested successful Canadian cannabis institution Cronos Group (CRON). Cronos Group's size successful Canada remains tiny compared to different publically traded marijuana stocks connected U.S. exchanges. Analysts person waited for much to travel from that investment.

MO Stock Fundamental Analysis

Analysts expect Altria's 2021 net to turn 6% this twelvemonth and 5% adjacent year, according to FactSet.

Top stocks usually person coagulated underlying net growth. But overall, MO banal falls acold abbreviated of the CAN SLIM benchmark for 25% growth successful net and revenue.

Sales maturation for Altria has been choppy, bouncing betwixt single-digit percent gains and declines implicit caller years.

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MO Stock Technical Analysis

MO banal is simply a level basal with a 52.69 bargain point.

Altria banal has a 58 Composite Rating, indicating mediocre wide performance. The stock's EPS Rating, which measures net growth, is 65.

MO banal is inactive not adjacent to the highs it reached successful mid-2017. The stock's relative spot line has been falling for years. When a stock's comparative spot enactment goes lower, that means it's falling down wide compared to the S&P 500.

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So Is Altria Stock A Buy?

MO banal is successful a base. But it is not yet successful a bargain zone.

The bottommost line: Altria is not a bargain yet.

Moreover, MO banal has mediocre ratings. Earnings maturation mightiness tick higher this year. But gross has bounced betwixt anemic maturation and humble declines.

IBD recommends investors absorption connected stocks that are person to their highs and that person Composite Ratings of 90 oregon higher.

Check retired IBD Stock Lists and different IBD contented to find dozens of the best stocks to bargain oregon watch. You tin besides work much present astir stocks to bargain oregon sell.

Follow Bill Peters connected Twitter astatine @IBD_BPeters.

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