Goldman Sachs Loves 2 High-Yield Tobacco Stocks as Cigarette Smoking Continues Decline

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By Lee Jackson Published

Quick Read

  • Goldman Sachs is very optimistic on two of the world’s largest tobacco companies.

  • Altria is one of the highest-yielding stocks in the S&P 500.

  • If the stock market nervousness continues, companies in the consumer staple sector will gain more attention.

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Goldman Sachs Loves 2 High-Yield Tobacco Stocks as Cigarette Smoking Continues Decline

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Goldman Sachs is the acknowledged leader in the investment landscape on Wall Street and worldwide. The firm’s top-notch research department continues to provide institutional and high-net-worth clients with the best ideas across the investing spectrum and is likely to continue for years.

Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is the world’s second-largest investment bank by revenue and is ranked 55th on the Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue. The Wall Street white-glove giant offers financing, advisory services, risk distribution, and hedging for the firm’s institutional and corporate clients.

Goldman Sachs provides advice, investing, and execution for institutions and individuals across public and private markets. At 24/7 Wall St., we have followed the company’s research for 15 years to bring our readers their top stock ideas. Recently, big targets on Strong Buy-rated dividend tobacco stocks caught our attention. While tobacco is an industry some would like to avoid there are some outstanding companies in the tobacco silo, and Goldman Sachs said this about the sector:

The US nicotine category is very attractive, in our view, with total volumes growing at a 2% CAGR over the past five years. The US is the world’s most profitable nicotine market ($25 billion profit pool today), and we expect the total profit pool to compound at a healthy 3.2% to ~$40 billion by 2035. Importantly, we forecast consumption of smoke-free nicotine products will surpass consumption of combustible products in volume this year and approach it in revenues & profits by 2035 as smokers continue to convert to reduced-risk alternatives.

Overall, it is no secret that the US nicotine market is in a state of flux, with widespread proliferation of illicit e-vapor products and a very slow FDA PMTA (pre-market tobacco product application) authorization process continuing to hinder the industry’s transition to smoke-free products and the creation of a viable market of FDA-authorized, reduced-risk alternatives for adult smokers.

Why do we cover Goldman Sachs dividend stocks?

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Goldman Sachs dividend stocks provide investors with reliable streams of passive income. Passive income is characterized by its ability to generate revenue without requiring the earner’s continuous active effort, making it a desirable financial strategy for those seeking to diversify their income streams or achieve financial independence.

Altria

Altria Group Inc. (NYSE: MO | MO Price Prediction) manufactures and sells smokable and oral tobacco products in the United States through its subsidiaries, and it is one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of tobacco, cigarettes, and related products.

The company provides cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand, as well as:

  • Cigars and pipe tobacco, principally under the Black & Mild and Middleton brands
  • Moist smokeless tobacco and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands
  • on! Oral nicotine pouches
  • e-vapor products under the NJOY ACE brand

It sells its tobacco products primarily to wholesalers, including distributors and large retail organizations, such as chain stores.

Altria used to own over 10% of Anheuser-Busch InBev S.A. (NYSE: BUD), the world’s largest brewer. Earlier this year, the company sold 35 million of its 197 million shares through a global secondary offering. That represents 18% of its holdings but still leaves 8% of the outstanding shares in its back pocket. Altria also announced a $2.4 billion stock repurchase plan partially funded by the sale.

Goldman Sachs has its price target for the shares set at $61.

Philip Morris International

Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) is an American multinational tobacco company with products sold in over 180 countries. This company has continued to grow its global market share. is one of the largest international cigarette producers, with a share of 28% of the global cigarette/heated tobacco market.

The company’s product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products.

Its smoke-free business (SFB) also includes wellness and healthcare products and consumer accessories such as lighters and matches.

The company’s segments include:

  • Europe,
  • South and Southeast Asia,
  • Commonwealth of Independent States
  • Middle East and Africa
  • East Asia,
  • Australia &
  • PMI Global Travel Retail
  • the Americas.

The company’s brands include Marlboro, HEETS, IQOS, IQOS ILUMA, TEREA, VEEV and ZYN.

Its IQOS smoke-free product brand portfolio includes heated tobacco and nicotine-containing vapor products.

Its international cigarette brands are Chesterfield, L&M, and Philip Morris. It also owns several local cigarette brands, such as Dji Sam Soe and Sampoerna A in Indonesia and Fortune and Jackpot in the Philippines.

Goldman Sachs has set a $175 target price.

The 5 Highest-Yielding Monthly Dividend Stocks Deliver Gigantic Passive Income Streams

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About the Author Lee Jackson →

Lee Jackson has covered Wall Street analysts' equity and debt research and equity strategy daily for 24/7 Wall St. since 2012. His broad and diverse career, which included a stint as the creative services director at the NBC affiliate in Austin, Texas, gives him unique insight into the financial industry and world.

Lee Jackson's journey in the financial industry spans over 30 years, with nearly two decades as an institutional equity salesperson at Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Morgan Stanley. His career was marked by his presence on the sell side during pivotal Wall Street events, from the dot.com rise and bubble to the Long Term Capital Management debacle, 9/11, and the Great Recession of 2008. This is a testament to his resilience and adaptability in the face of market volatility.

Lee Jackson’s practical financial industry experience, acquired from a career at some of the biggest banks and brokerage firms, is complemented by a lifetime of writing on various platforms. This unique combination allows him to shed light on the intricacies and workings of Wall Street in a way that only someone with deep insider experience and knowledge can. Moreover, his extensive network across Wall Street continues to provide direct access for him and 24/7 Wall St., a privilege few firms enjoy.

Since 2012, Jackson’s work for 24/7 Wall St. has been featured in Barron’s, Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch, Business Insider, TradingView, Real Money, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Benzinga, and other media outlets. He attended the prestigious Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and has a degree in broadcasting from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.

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