Hey, Zach here!

Below, I’ll share a deep dive on one of the best dividend stocks ever, the Altria Group!

• A single dollar invested in Altria in 1970 would be worth over $8,130 by 2025 with dividends reinvested.

• That’s an astronomical total return of over 800,000%, or roughly 17.7% annualized.

Let’s do this!

Today’s topics:

1. The King of Dividend Stocks

2. Dividend Growth Stocks Selling Off After Earnings

3. Dividend Raises This Week

4. My Activity (New Buys + Dividends Earned)

5. Full Walkthrough (DividendData.com)

The Key Story

The King of Dividend Stocks is Back! - Altria Stock Analysis 2025

Stock Review - $MO ( ▲ 1.35% ) Altria Group

👉 Watch The Full Stock Analysis

Altria has turned high dividend payments into a compounding machine over the past century, making it one of the best dividend stocks of all time—even as smoking rates declined dramatically.

History & Evolution

• Altria began as Philip Morris in 1847, evolving into a major cigarette manufacturer before rebranding in 2003.

• The company navigated regulatory pressures and public health campaigns, yet consistently raised dividends even during tough times.

• This long history is a testament to its resilience and its ability to generate shareholder value through steady dividend growth.

Current Business & Diversification

• Altria’s core remains its premium cigarette brand, Marlboro, complemented by other tobacco and oral tobacco products.

• New growth initiatives in nicotine pouches (on!), e-cigarettes (NJOY), and even a minority stake in cannabis show a push toward diversification.

• The company offsets declining cigarette volumes by raising prices on these products and leveraging existing distribution channels to launch new products to market.

Financials, Valuation & My Investment Thesis

• Despite flat or declining volumes, price increases have kept revenues and free cash flow robust, supporting high dividend payouts.

• I walk through a DCF model and a dividend discount model (DDM) that reinforce the stock’s appeal at a 7% dividend yield.

• I personally bought in during a high-yield phase (around 9–11%), and my portfolio now reflects the power of compounding through reinvested dividends.

Final Takeaway & Cautions

• Altria is a dividend king with sustainable free cash flow payout ratios, yet it’s not a high-growth story.

• I caution investors not to chase the stock when valuations become stretched.

• In summary, while Altria may not “beat the market” in explosive growth, but it’s reliable dividend income and history of performance make it a cornerstone for any dividend growth portfolio at the right price.

🔥 More Stock Research This Week

🚨 4 Dividend Growth Stocks Selling Off After Earnings

• $ACN ( ▼ 4.7% )  (Accenture):
  I break down how this tech consulting giant, with decades of dividend growth (a recent 14.7% boost) and a strong balance sheet (net cash of $8.5B), appears roughly 27% undervalued. Consistent earnings growth and a sustainable dividend payout make it an attractive opportunity.

• $FDS ( ▼ 3.23% )  (FactSet):
  This financial software company delivers reliable EPS growth with a 10-year dividend CAGR of over 10%, despite a modest starting yield of about 1%. Its robust free cash flow and buyback strategy reinforce its dividend sustainability.

• $NKE ( ▼ 14.44% )  (Nike):
  Despite a sharp post-earnings sell-off—dropping more than 60% from its all-time high—Nike’s long-term fundamentals shine. With an 11% 10-year dividend growth rate and solid cash flow, the current valuation could offer a compelling entry point for dividend investors.

• $FDX ( ▼ 11.96% ) (FedEx):
  As a long-term dividend growth stock with a current yield near 2.4%, FedEx is benefiting from cost-saving programs, share repurchases, and improved operating income. I highlight how its recent earnings miss may present a temporary dip before the company’s earnings potential reaccelerates.

I explain how these sell-offs might be temporary setbacks in otherwise strong dividend plays, emphasizing robust fundamentals, sustainable dividends, and attractive long-term total returns.

👉 4 Dividend Growth Stocks Selling Off After Earnings

🚀 New Dividend Raises:

These top dividend stocks increased payouts this week:

• $CL ( ▲ 2.62% ) - Colgate-Palmolive increases dividend by ~4% to $0.52, launches new $5B share buyback program.

• $TNET ( ▼ 2.95% ) - TriNet raises dividend by 10% to $0.275 a share.

• $EQR ( ▼ 4.3% ) - Equity Residential raises dividend by 2.6% to $0.6925 a share.

• $FE ( ▲ 1.16% ) - FirstEnergy raises quarterly dividend by 4.7% to $0.445/share.

• $WSM ( ▼ 15.85% ) - Williams-Sonoma raises dividend by 15.8% to $0.66/share per quarter.

• $SIG ( ▼ 9.6% ) - Signet raises dividend by 10.3% to $0.32/share per quarter.

• $JPM ( ▼ 6.97% ) - JPMorgan Chase raises dividend by 12% to $1.40/share per quarter.

• $QCOM ( ▼ 9.52% ) - Qualcomm raises dividend by 4.7% to $0.89/share per quarter.

• $CTRE ( ▲ 1.05% ) - CareTrust REIT raises dividend by 15.5% to $0.335/share per quarter.

• $QFIN ( ▼ 5.21% ) - Qifu Technology raises dividend by 16.7% to $0.70/share semi-annual dividend; authorizes $350M share buyback.

The Best of the Bunch: (JPMorgan Chase - JPM Stock)

The banking giant has had high dividend growth coming out of the great financial crisis. Over the past 2 years, $JPM ( ▼ 6.97% ) has been growing it’s dividend every other quarter. For example, the 1 year dividend growth is now at +21.74%.

Become a DividendData.com member and get dividend news, filtered by the stocks in your watchlist and portfolio.

💰My Activity This Week

• New Buys: 3 shares of $GOOGL ( ▼ 4.02% ) - Alphabet at $160.48

• Dividends Earned: $15 from $GOOGL ( ▼ 4.02% ) and $1.6 from $TPL ( ▼ 12.25% )  

March 17th, 2025

March 18th, 2025

By the way, I share my buys & dividends on X.

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How To Find Great Dividend Stocks – Full Walkthrough (DividendData.com)

• I walk you through the powerful tools on DividendData.com—from comprehensive stock analysis to detailed dividend history and custom screeners.

• I demonstrate how the platform’s AI analyst and interactive dashboards make it simple to assess company fundamentals and dividend safety.

• I share tips on tracking your portfolio and staying on top of earnings, so you can invest smarter for long-term growth.
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📅 Keep Investing. Stay informed.

– Zach
Founder, Dividend Data

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Disclaimer: Dividend Dividend (Dividend Data LLC) is not a professional financial service. All materials released from Dividend Data (Dividend Data LLC) are for educational and entertainment purposes. Dividend Data (Dividend Data LLC) is not a replacement for a professional's opinion. Contributors to the Dividend Data (Dividend Data LLC) might have equities mentioned in the newsletter