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Altria Narrows 2026 Guidance Range

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Image Source: TradingView By Brian Nelson, CFA Altria (MO) recently reported decent second quarter results with revenue and non-GAAP earnings per share coming roughly in-line with consensus expectations. Revenue net of excise taxes increased 1.2% year-over-year in the quarter, while adjusted diluted earnings per share advanced 2.8% from the last year’s period. Management had the following to say about the results: In the second quarter, our operating companies continued to deliver against the priorities we outlined at the start of the year – advancing our smoke-free portfolio, strengthening our traditional tobacco businesses and delivering significant returns to shareholders. In smoke-free, Helix expanded on! PLUS to 120,000 stores nationwide, engaged in trial-generating activities and prepared for additional line extensions to come … Read more

Altria Targets Progressive Dividend Growth Goal

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Image Source: TradingView By Brian Nelson, CFA On January 29, Altria (MO) reported mixed fourth quarter results with revenue coming in ahead of the consensus forecast, but non-GAAP earnings per share missing the mark. Revenue net of excise taxes fell 0.5% in the quarter, while adjusted diluted earnings per share were flat on a year-over-year basis. In the fourth quarter, Altria repurchased 4.8 million shares for a total cost of $288 million and had $1 billion remaining under its $2 billion share repurchase program, which expires on December 31, 2026. The company paid dividends of $1.8 billion in the fourth quarter. Management had the following to say about the results: 2025 was a year of continued momentum for Altria, marked … Read more

Altria Narrows Outlook While It Expands Its Buyback Program

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By Brian Nelson, CFA Altria (MO) recently reported mixed third quarter results with revenue missing the consensus mark, but non-GAAP earnings per share coming in line. Net revenues dropped 3% in the quarter year-over-year due to lower net revenues in the smokeable and oral tobacco products segments, while adjusted diluted earnings per share increased 3.6%, to $1.45. Adjusted operating companies income (OCI) totaled $2.96 billion in the period, up from $2.94 billion in last year’s quarter. The company narrowed its guidance for 2025 full-year adjusted diluted earnings per share, while it expanded its existing share repurchase program. Management expects fourth quarter earnings per share growth to moderate as it laps a lower share count associated with the completion of its … Read more

Thinking Slow: 3 Research Blind Spots That Changed the Investment World

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Dear members: — Daniel Kahneman in his text Thinking, Fast and Slow (1) divided the human psyche into two systems. The first system is instinctive and emotional, often set on autopilot, while the second system is slower and more logical, requiring a calculating conscious. Many of the maxims the investment world takes for granted today suffer from conclusions that are made rapidly, almost without thinking, driven by our first system, creating what I call research blind spots. — In World War II, Allied bombing raids were suffering from very high casualty rates. It was estimated that for those pilots that were flying at the beginning of the war, only about 10% survived, a terrible loss rate. Bombing was crucial to the Allied … Read more

Philip Morris’ Smoke-Free Portfolio Continues to Outperform

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Image Source: Philip Morris By Brian Nelson, CFA On October 21, Philip Morris (PM) reported better than expected third quarter results with both revenue and non-GAAP earnings per share exceeding the consensus forecasts. Third quarter net revenues increased 5.9% on an organic basis, reflecting higher combustible tobacco pricing and favorable volume/mix driven by higher smoke-free products volume, offset in part by lower volumes and unfavorable mix for cigarettes. Philip Morris’ shipment volume increased 0.7% with smoke-free product (SFP) volumes up 16.6%, with all SFP categories growing strongly. Cigarette volumes declined 3.2%, with weakness in all regions. Adjusted operating income increased 7.5% on an organic basis. Adjusted diluted earnings per share grew 17.3%, to $2.24, and by 13.1% excluding currency. Management … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of August 22

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Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending August 22. The dividend reports of covered firms on this list will be updated shortly with the new information. To access our dividend reports use the ‘Symbol’ search box in our website header. Firms Raising Their Dividends This Week                          Altria (MO): now $1.06 per share quarterly dividend, was $1.02. American Financial (AFG): now $0.88 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.80. Automotive Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (APR.UN:CA): now CAD 0.0685 per share monthly dividend, was CAD 0.0670. Avnet (AVT): now $0.35 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.33. Bank7 (BSVN): now $0.27 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.24. Bay Commercial Bank (BCML): now $0.25 … Read more

Altria Narrows 2025 Full-Year Adjusted Diluted EPS Guidance

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Image Source: TradingView By Brian Nelson, CFA On July 30, Altria (MO) posted better than expected second quarter results that beat the consensus forecast on both the top and bottom lines. Net revenues dropped 1.7% on a year-over-year basis due to lower net revenues in its smokeable products segment, but the company’s adjusted diluted earnings per share advanced 8.3% year-over-year, to $1.44, primarily driven by higher operating income and fewer shares outstanding. Altria repurchased 4.7 million shares in the quarter, and as of June 30, had $400 million remaining under its current share repurchase program. The company paid dividends of $1.7 billion in the second quarter. Management had the following to say about the results: In the second quarter, we … Read more

3 Undervalued Stocks to Consider Buying Now

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Dear readers:   With the markets retracing most of their recent drawdown, we’re taking a victory lap as we didn’t panic, nor should have you. We highlighted our wait-and-see approach amidst the worst of the pullback, and we expect the Magnificent 7 (large cap growth and big cap tech) to continue to propel the markets higher, as they have done.   We’ve been busy rolling valuation models as we finetune our assumptions for a great number of companies under coverage. While doing so, we came across three undervalued stocks that are also included in the simulated newsletter portfolios. We think they’re prime for highlight.   The three stocks are UnitedHealth Group (UNH), Nvidia (NVDA) and Alphabet (GOOG). We spend a lot of time on discounted cash-flow valuation, … Read more

Magnificent 7 Earnings Reports Not Bad Thus Far

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By Brian Nelson, CFA   Shortly after Trump’s Liberation Day, where the President unveiled lofty tariffs on numerous countries, we released our wait-and-see outlook for the equity markets, which thus far has proven to be the right move, with the markets largely recovering from the depths reached in April. The S&P 500 (SPY), for example, is down just 3.3% year-to-date, excluding dividends.   A lot has happened since Liberation Day, including easing of tariffs to a 10% baseline for most, if not all, countries, with the key exception of China, where tariffs remain extremely elevated and prohibitive. Many countries are now reportedly negotiating trade agreements with the White House, and we expect China to be added to that list soon, even if … Read more

Altria Continues to Expect Adjusted Earnings Per Share Expansion

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Image: Altria’s shares have recovered nicely since the beginning of 2024. By Brian Nelson, CFA On April 29, tobacco giant Altria (MO) reported mixed first quarter results with non-GAAP earnings per share exceeding the consensus forecast, but revenue coming in a bit light relative to the Street forecast. Net revenues fell 5.7% in the quarter due to weaker performance in its smokeable products segment. However, adjusted diluted earnings per share increased 6% from last year’s quarter, to $1.23. The bottom line was bolstered by fewer shares outstanding, higher adjusted operating companies income (OCI), and a lower adjusted tax rate. Management had the following to say about the quarter: Our highly profitable traditional tobacco businesses performed well in a challenging environment … Read more