Altria has raised its dividend 61 times in 57 years and yields ~6%, while Realty Income has raised its payout 115 consecutive quarters and yields ~6%.
Kinder Morgan carries a $9.6 billion project backlog, over 60% tied to power generation, while AT&T uses just 46% of adjusted EPS to fund its dividend.
VICI Properties yields ~7.5% with 100% portfolio occupancy and 39.6-year average lease terms, but its stock trades well below the average **** yst target of $31.
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Retirees need two things from a dividend stock: the check must arrive on schedule, and it must grow faster than the cost of groceries. This month's list covers five cash-generating businesses in five different industries: tobacco, net-lease real estate, gaming real estate, natural gas pipelines, and telecom. In every case, earnings or cash flow will cover the payout, and each company has years of payment history behind it. Several of them pay in November, including Realty Income (NYSE:O), whose next monthly dividend of $0.2715 a share is scheduled to arrive on November 13.

#november #raised

$100,000 split across MO and ET alone generates roughly $2,548 annually, backed by 60 and 19 consecutive dividend raises respectively.
Verizon's CFO called its 6.1% dividend "ironclad" after free cash flow surged 27% to $6.43 billion in Q2.
Exxon anchors the basket with 43 straight years of dividend growth and a fortress balance sheet carrying just 0.55x net debt-to-EBITDA.
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Split $100,000 equally across five blue-chip dividend payers in tobacco, pipelines, telecom, net-lease real estate and integrated oil, and today's yields produce roughly $5,436 in annual income. That works out to about $20,000 per name. Dividend safety depends on more than yield. These companies back their payouts with long records of raises, real cash generation and a balance sheet that can handle a rough patch. That combination is what turns a one-time investment into a durable income stream.

#across #free #cash #balance

Lots of investors keep coming back to dividend stocks for a pretty simple reason: While the market is often busy chasing whatever happens to be hot that week, a growing dividend is something a company actually has to earn. It has to generate the cash to keep paying investors quarter after quarter, year after year.
That makes dividends especially appealing when the market and the economy feel like they're being pulled in every direction. A company can dress up a press release, but it can't fake the cash sitting in its bank account. When it comes time to pay a dividend, the money is either there or it isn't.
Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 14x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our ****** ysts, we're only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »
What interests me most, though, aren't necessarily the big, well-known dividend payers. I'm more interested in the companies flying under the radar that have increased their payouts for decades while also making meaningful changes to their underlying businesses today. These four companies fit that description.
Universal (NYSE: UVV) is the highest yielder here, paying out around 7.4% at recent prices, and it has raised its dividend for 56 consecutive years. This raise makes it a Dividend King, a company that has delivered 50 or more years of annual dividend increases. Universal isn't a cigarette maker, but it is the world's largest leaf tobacco exporter and importer. It supplies tobacco companies rather than selling to smokers directly, which is why it rarely shows up in articles about tobacco stocks.

#market

Interested in Texas Instruments Incorporated? Here are five stocks we like better.
Texas Instruments, Philip Morris International, and W.P. Carey all recently raised their dividends and offer yields ranging from roughly 2% to nearly 6%.
Although all three stocks show elevated trailing payout ratios, forward-looking estimates using future earnings or AFFO suggest their dividends are sustainable.
Each company's growth drivers differ, with Texas Instruments benefiting from chip demand, Philip Morris from smoke-free products, and W.P. Carey facing pressure from higher interest rates.
Texas Instruments (NASDAQ: TXN), Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM), and W.P. Carey (NYSE: WPC) are key names across semiconductors, tobacco, and real estate with strong dividend yields. These three names not only have yields between 2% and 6% but also just increased their payments. At first glance, their dividend sustainability looks questionable, with all three having elevated payout ratios. However, adjusting for future growth and using the appropriate payout metric shows that their dividends are on solid footing.

#instruments #dividends #yields #international

BTI yields 5.83% and beats MO on growth, trading at a cheaper forward P/E of 11 with EPS guidance of 5 to 8% versus Altria's 2.5 to 5.5%.
Altria wins on income reliability, having raised its dividend 60 times in 56 years with a 6.10% yield paid in dollars with zero currency risk.
BTI's Modern Oral segment surged 47% while Altria's nicotine pouch share fell 4 points and cigarette volumes dropped 10% in 2025.
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For a retirement-focused investor weighing high-yield tobacco names, the question is direct: British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI) or Altria Group (NYSE:MO), which screens better for income investors right now? Both throw off cash, both trade at single-digit-to-low-teens forward earnings, and both are racing to replace shrinking combustible volumes with nicotine pouches, vapor, and heated tobacco. But when you line them up on the metrics that actually matter for a retiree cashing checks, one name comes out ahead.

#tobacco

President Trump has nominated Nicole Saphier as Surgeon General, and she has revealed her investment portfolio, which includes tobacco stocks Philip Morris International (PM), Altria Group (MO), and British American Tobacco (BTI). If confirmed in the hearing scheduled for Sept. 16, Saphier would divest these holdings no later than 90 days after her confirmation, as part of an ethics agreement. This clearly avoids conflicts of interest with the role's public health mandate.
Meanwhile, the tobacco market is transforming, with smoke-free products gaining prominence. Bank of America's four‑week scanner data through May 30 showed that most U.S. tobacco categories continued to lose volume, while oral nicotine products remained the sector's strongest growth area.
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#philip

ARCC yields nearly 10% with 17 years of stable dividends, while VICI's 7% yield comes with 100% occupancy and 40-year inflation-linked leases.
Pfizer yields 6% at a forward P/E of 10, delivering five straight EPS beats while prioritizing its dividend over buybacks in 2026.
Roth IRA placement turbocharges all four picks since their distributions are taxed as ordinary income in taxable accounts.
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Roth IRAs let dividends compound tax-free forever, which makes them the ideal wrapper for names that spit out ordinary-income distributions taxed at your marginal rate outside the account. The four below yield well above the S&P 500 average, and each brings a different flavor of durable cash flow: a business development company, a gaming net-lease REIT, a tobacco cash machine, and a large-cap pharma. As one reference point, Ares Capital (NASDAQ:ARCC) alone reports $1.92 in annualized dividends per share, a payout policy backed by 17 years of stable or increasing regular quarterly dividends.

#dividends #arcc #four

In what is being referred to as potentially social media's "Big Tobacco moment," Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) recently announced an agreement with 52 attorneys general under which the parent company of Facebook and Instagram will pay up to $18 billion over the next decade and significantly change its policies for teen users.
While the fine would be the largest consumer-protection settlement ever, excluding Big Tobacco, most Wall Street ***** ysts and experts believe Meta avoided what could have been a vastly larger financial settlement.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
But the ramifications from this landmark teen-safety lawsuit could be far worse for social media company Snap (NYSE: SNAP). Here's why.
Per the agreement, Meta will pay $12.7 billion to the participating states and U.S. territories in the lawsuit in annual installments over the next decade. The remaining $5.3 billion will be paid based on two conditions: Alphabet's YouTube and TikTok must apply some of the same changes that Meta is making for teens, and those companies must collectively pay a matching $5.3 billion.

#meta #billion #signal #flashing

By Emma Rumney and Jonathan Stempel
LONDON/NEW YORK, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Marlboro-maker Altria on Wednesday sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, seeking to force the agency to overhaul a product review ‌process that tobacco companies say has stifled their growth in the key U.S. market, a legal filing ‌showed.
Under U.S. law, the FDA must review new tobacco products before they can be sold, ******* sing whether they provide a net public health benefit, such as helping smokers quit.
But the system has been plagued by a huge backlog of applications and a booming illegal market of products sold without FDA authorisation.
Altria's lawsuit marks the latest industry challenge to a regime that has become one of the biggest obstacles facing tobacco companies in the $22 billion U.S. market. It follows an extensive lobbying ‌campaign targeting President Donald Trump.

#review #stempel

While the greens at East Lake Golf Club may appear calm and quiet, specially trained federal agents and their K-9s are working behind the scenes to protect thousands of spectators attending the PGA tournament.
An EXCLUSIVE inside look at keeping a major sporting event safe, LIVE on Channel 2 Action News at 6:00 p.m.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is conducting daily security sweeps of the course, searching for explosives and firearms before spectators arrive.
Channel 2 was there exclusively as ATF K-9 Agent Oakley, a 3-year-old Labrador, worked room by room with his handler, Agent Mariah May.

#firearms #spectators #room #club

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), a social networking and artificial intelligence (AI) giant, closed at $576.14, up 1.07%. The stock moved after Meta settled a high-profile child-safety case with U.S. states. Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion and introduce child-safety measures such as daily time limits and muted school-time notifications. Meta has also called on competitors to introduce similar protections.
Trading volume reached 31.1 million shares, coming in about 69% above its three-month average of 18.4 million shares. Meta Platforms IPO'd in 2012 and has grown 1,270% since going public.
The S&P 500 closed at 7,676, down 0.02%, while the Nasdaq Composite finished at 26,130, down 0.08%. Among social media and digital advertising platforms, Alphabet closed at $339.10, down 1.23%, and Snap closed at $5.42, down 8.45%.
Meta shares rose slightly following today's settlement because it resolves the legal cases over child addiction with payouts that will be spread over the coming 10 years. Several media reports had compared the case to tech's "big tobacco" moment, sparking fears that it would have to pay a much larger amount.
Even so, as mega tech firms race to develop AI infrastructure, every dollar counts. The bigger question for investors is when and whether Meta's 2026 capital expenditure of $125 billion to $145 billion will generate returns. Meta's ad revenue continues to show impressive growth, and the legal cloud may have lifted, but that massive cash burn is still worth watching.

#meta

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) and Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) have entered into reciprocal contract manufacturing arrangements designed to improve manufacturing efficiency and expand their operational flexibility. The first shipments are expected in 2027, while both companies said the agreements are not expected to have a material impact on their 2026 results.
The deal is particularly relevant for Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) because it is looking to increase cigarette imports and exports and capitalize on the U.S. "double duty drawback" system. The tax mechanism allows tobacco companies to recover certain federal excise taxes previously paid on products that are later exported, potentially improving the economics of international tobacco trade.
For Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM), the agreement provides access to Altria's manufacturing capabilities while allowing PMI to maintain its existing international-focused cigarette strategy. PMI has emphasized that the arrangement does not mean it plans to sell cigarettes in the U.S.
Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock.com
The biggest positive for Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) is the potential to generate additional economic value from its existing manufacturing infrastructure. Rather than relying entirely on the declining U.S. cigarette market, Altria can use manufacturing relationships and international trade flows to create additional opportunities.

#altria #philip #Companies

CAIRO (AP) — Palestinians face inflated prices for groceries and batteries, hospitals have turned to smugglers for medicine and equipment, Israeli soldiers and other middlemen are accused of pocketing millions of dollars, and the Hamas-led government takes a cut as the smuggling of goods restricted by Israel into the Gaza Strip has boomed, according to an ******* ociated Press investigation based on court documents and interviews with traders, truckers and officials.
Cigarettes and tobacco — banned from entry to Gaza since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023 — rake in the biggest profits for smugglers and merchants, officials and residents say. But everything from iPhones and solar panels to fuel and anesthetics are also brought into the tiny coastal territory illegally. Israel restricts quantities of some goods and bans others outright. It defines many as "dual use" — including concrete, vehicle parts and X-ray machines — ******* erting they could be repurposed by Hamas militants for military functions.
To build a picture of the illicit trade, The ******* ociated Press ******* yzed Israeli court documents and spoke to five major traders who import smuggled goods, three merchants who sell them, and two truckers — all on condition of anonymity because of their roles in the illegal smuggling business and concerns about their safety in Gaza. AP also interviewed four Palestinian officials, two on condition of anonymity because of worries about retribution from Israel, Hamas or merchants; two U.N. officials, on condition of anonymity over concern for their jobs; and a dozen Palestinian residents, who spoke about how they get everyday items and their skyrocketing costs.
AP found a rush from all sides to profit off the tight restrictions imposed by Israel on Gaza and its 2 million residents, most of whom have been displaced by the war. Smuggling rings — which have long flourished, circumventing two decades of Israeli blockades and building a network of businessmen and collaborators — pull in millions of dollars. Payoffs go to Israeli troops, drivers, warehouse workers and others on both sides of the border, according to traders and court documents.
"The occupation has left no other option before us. Smuggling has become routine," one trader said, noting that some in Israel's military are willing to help — for a price. "We benefit, they benefit and the people in Gaza benefit because we provide goods, including food, to the market."

#israeli #smuggling

A Virginia man's anti-police license plate is at the center of what could be a landmark First Amendment case, following a federal appeals court ruling in his favor last month.
Virginia motorist Curtis M. Whateley says he has a free speech right to keep his customized license plate, which reads "FTP&ATF," an abbreviation that foul-mouthed puzzle-solvers will decipher as "Fuck the police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms." The State of Virginia argues that it has the right to revoke Whateley's plate because license plates are government-owned, not a public soapbox. The state says it's going to take its case to the Supreme Court.
The case highlights a niche, often amusing, but still consequential issue in First Amendment law: whether a vanity license plate is private or government speech.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that Texas could deny a group's application for a specialty license plate design showing the Confederate flag. Most U.S. district courts and state courts interpreting the decision have held that, while government-run vanity plate programs are a nonpublic forum, the specific character combination of the plate is private speech, which restricts the government from censorship based on viewpoint.
But until the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit issued an opinion on Whateley's case on July 31, no federal appeals court had ruled on the matter, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia (ACLU-VA), which is representing Whateley. The three-judge panel unanimously found Virginia's personalized license plate messages are private speech subject to First Amendment protection.

#first #amendment #case

AWSHX bars tobacco, alcohol, and gambling companies from its portfolio yet delivered a 17% one-year return and 239% gain over ten years.
KO and JPM exemplify qualifying holdings, with Coca-Cola's quarterly dividend tripling since 1999 and JPMorgan trading near 15 times earnings.
At 0.55% annually, AWSHX costs roughly 10 times more than an S&P 500 index fund, a gap that compounds meaningfully over decades.
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Most mutual funds will buy anything their strategy can justify. Washington Mutual Investors Fund (NASDAQ:AWSHX) will not. The fund operates under a set of eligibility rules that flatly disqualify certain companies from the portfolio, regardless of price, momentum, or story. That constraint is the entire point of the product.

#Companies #jpmorgan

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) sells cigarettes, oral nicotine pouches, and vapor products to adult tobacco users in the US. It's the parent of Marlboro, still the country's top-selling cigarette brand. The stock showed up in Donald Trump's disclosed portfolio, and it's easy to see the appeal: over 50 straight years of dividend increases and a business that doesn't move much with the economic cycle.
Altria stock is up around 25% year to date. Over the trailing 12 months, the stock is up about 24%, ahead of the market's 19% gain. Only Philip Morris, up 21% YTD, comes close among the major tobacco names. British American Tobacco and ***** an Tobacco are each up 10%.
Altria's Q1 2026 earnings beat expectations on both lines. Net revenue grew 3.2% year over year mostly from pricing, not volume. Adjusted diluted EPS grew 7.3%, up from 4.4% growth in 2025.
The volume story is also improving. Altria's smokeable segment declined just 4% in Q1 2026, down sharply from a 12% decline a year earlier. On the oral tobacco side, on! PLUS nicotine pouches rolled out nationwide in March and are now in roughly 100,000 stores, covering 85% of the nicotine pouch category by volume. On!'s own volume grew 17.6% year-over-year in Q1, after growing 11% for all of 2025. It's also the first product authorized under the FDA's streamlined pilot review program for oral nicotine pouches.
Valuation

#tobacco #oral #grew #group

Tobacco Road, built by the late Mike Strantz and one of the most dramatically shaped golf courses found anywhere, has a new sibling. The Matchbox – a 12-hole, par-3 course that embraces the ethos established by Strantz on the property near Pinehurst – opens August 1 in Sanford, North Carolina.
The new short course is the result of a partnership between Carlton/Marshall Golf Design and Mike White, one of the shapers who worked for Strantz on the full-size Tobacco Road layout that opened in 1998 in the Sandhills.
"There's a direct line from our past to the present – and we believe The Matchbox will become a must-play experience in its own right," Mark Stewart, whose family opened Tobacco Road, said in a media release announcing the opening of The Matchbox.
The Matchbox was constructed in just six months near Nos. 12 and 13 of the big course. Holes range from 40 to 105 yards and feature synthetic turf blended into the natural landscape, a choice that allowed the builders to preserve more trees instead of clearing room for grass to grow. The choice of synthetic turf also avoided the installation of irrigation.
Guests can book tee times from the opening date through December.

#matchbox #course #golf #opening

Tobacco and nicotine products seller British American Tobacco p.l.c. (BTI) has announced that it will cut 20% of its workforce, cutting about 5,500 jobs and moving approximately 3,500 roles to third-party firms. Affecting about 9,000 employees in total, the move is to pursue an AI-driven restructuring to reduce costs and boost profits.
However, these cuts do not affect the U.S., which is the company's largest market. On the other hand, regulatory risks might be just around the corner. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed a rule that would require foreign tobacco product makers to register their facilities and list products sold in the country. That would mean players like BTI would have to provide identifying details for each tobacco product, including nicotine strength, nicotine source, flavors, package type, and product dimensions.
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As long-term smoking rates keep falling due to health reasons, BTI is trying to reconfigure its portfolio towards alternative tobacco and nicotine products. These include non-combustible, reduced-risk products (RRPs) such as vapor products, heated products, and modern oral products. BTI plans to reach 50 million consumers of its smokeless products by 2030 and speed up smokeless product growth so that these products account for at least 50% of revenue by 2035.
British American Tobacco is a global consumer goods company that makes and sells tobacco and nicotine products in many markets. Its operations span six continents and include offices, factories, tech hubs, and research and development centers. Founded in 1902, BTI runs an international business built around product innovation and a wide geographic reach. Headquartered in London, U.K., the company has a market capitalization of $133.9 billion.

More than 300 people have been arrested across the UK, including 57 migrants who had crossed the Channel by boat, as part of a police crackdown on illegal trade and organised immigration crime.
The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) said more than £1m cash was seized during the five-day operation between June 15 and June 20.
Illegal tobacco, vapes and cigarettes with a street value of more than £700,000 were also seized as well as cars, drugs and e-bikes.
The operation centred on tackling crime at premises that included barber shops, vape shops, car washes, food production and nail salons - with the NPCC saying such businesses are often targeted by criminal gangs as they "provide opportunities to conceal illegal working, to exploit vulnerable migrants, and to launder proceeds of crime".
The operation involved most UK police forces working alongside agencies including the Home Office, Immigration Enforcement and Trading Standards. A total of 362 arrests were made.

By Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff
WASHINGTON, July 1 (Reuters) - Donald Trump Jr. helped take an online retailer known as the "Amazon of guns" public last year. Now, GrabAGun, where the U.S. president's son is a shareholder and board member, could reap a windfall from a proposed rule change at Trump's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that would make it easier to ship guns directly to people's homes.
If finalized, the rule would be among the most consequential changes to the U.S. gun policy in two decades, potentially driving ‌huge growth in online gun sales, according to ten industry officials, store owners, and gun-control advocates interviewed by Reuters.
The proposal would allow licensed dealers to ship firearms directly to in-state residents who undergo an online identity verification and background check, along with a seven-day waiting ‌period after notifying local law enforcement. Currently, online buyers must pick up firearms at physical stores and undergo in-person background checks unless they have a permit.
Some gun shop owners, industry officials and gun control advocates argue the direct shipping of firearms poses significant public safety and security risks and threatens the viability of small brick-and-mortar gun shops.

By
Updated June 29, 2026 9:36 am ET
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British American Tobacco BATS -0.85%
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plans to shrink its workforce by nearly a fifth, as the cigarette maker cuts and outsources jobs in an effort to reduce costs and simplify its operations.

Changes to the law giving councils more powers to tackle businesses selling illegal goods would be "welcome", a senior official has said.
Dan Swaine, executive director for place at Doncaster Council, made the comments after the recent rape convictions of Hexthorpe Mini Market worker Bawan Hawre, who lured underage girls to his flat with the promise of free vapes and cash.
Swaine said Trading Standards had previously seized counterfeit goods from the shop and that the wider trade in illicit tobacco, cigarettes and vapes was a nationwide issue linked to organised crime.
Reform UK councillors in Doncaster said residents had "repeatedly" raised concerns about Hexthorpe Mini Market.
Sheffield Crown Court heard Harwe, an Iraqi national, targeted girls aged 12 to 16, plied them with drink and drugs, and raped or abused them.

The Australian government has spent the last decade introducing steep tax hikes to curb smoking, and, as a result, the country has the most expensive cigarettes in the world. The average price of mainstream cigarettes is 54.99 Australian dollars per pack (about $40). But the eyewatering prices have driven people to the black market.
In 2025, an estimated 80 percent of the tobacco consumed in Australia was illegal, up from 12 percent in 2017, according to new ***** ysis from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The study, which is the first attempt by the Australian government to estimate the size of the black market, found that "prices for legal tobacco products have almost tripled since December 2016 driven by annual tobacco excise increases, while estimated prices of illicit tobacco products have remained relatively constant." Since 2020, household spending on legal cigarettes and tobacco has almost halved, but between 2017 and 2025, the amount of nicotine consumed in Australia has risen by almost 40 percent.
Meanwhile, between 2016 and 2025, the price of legal cigarettes nearly tripled while tobacco duty revenue more than halved. As a result, the Australian Treasury has downgraded tobacco excise revenue by $8 billion over the next five years in the latest federal budget.
Lower tax revenue is hardly something to mourn, but Australia's collapsing legal tobacco market has come with a far darker consequence: a severe wave of gang violence, including firebombings and shootings. Since 2023, organized crime groups linked to Australia's illicit tobacco and vape market have been tied to "more than 200 firebombings," "at least 3 homicides," and "multiple other non-fatal violent attacks," according to the Australian Intelligence Commission.
"It's hard to see how it could get any worse," Rohan Pike, a former Australian Federal Police detective and Border Force member, tells Reason. Pike, who created and led Australia's Illicit Tobacco Strike Team, says the violence is now an "old-fashioned turf war" and that criminal gangs, attracted by the profits, are fighting to control distribution.