Altria (MO): 'A company in transition'

"Altria Group (NYSE: MO) is a company in transition, catching its breath after spinning off giant Kraft Foods, restructuring North American production facilities, and preparing to sell Philip Morris International," notes Tom Slee.

The contributing analyst with Internet Wealth Builder has reaffirmed his buy rating, noting "Analysts expect an announcement in the next month or so about the divestiture, as well as plans for a major stock repurchase program."

He adds, "Not that Altria is resting on its laurels, however. The world's largest tobacco company is test marketing a smokeless tobacco in order to combat smoking bans."

The product, he points out, called Marlboro Snus, is a small pouch of dried tobacco that users place in the mouth. Unlike chewing tobacco, however, Snus do not require spitting.

He states, "Because of the health hazards and resulting litigation, tobacco remains a controversial industry. However, if you can put that aside, the fundamentals for leading producers such as Altria remain good.

Slee adds, "While Europeans and North Americans have been abandoning the habit, it's estimated that there are now more than 300 million male smokers in China, equal to about the entire U.S. population. Whether we like smoking or not, the fact is that Altria is extremely well positioned to benefit from what remains a growth industry."

Altria, like most stocks, has taken a beating, he observes. But, he adds, "The stock is now trading at 15.9 times this year's expected earnings of $4.25 and yielding 4.1% on a $2.76 dividend. This provides the stock with downside protection."

Each day, Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com features the latest investment ideas and market commentary from the financial newsletter community.