Is Altria Going Up in Smoke or Just Going Up?

Mahatma Gandhi famously said, "Hate the sin and not the sinner," which is sometimes misquoted as, "Hate the sin but love the sinner." As one of the largest global manufacturers of tobacco and alcohol products, Altria (NYSE: MO) is the consummate sin stock. But an investor in Altria has felt anything but love for it -- its share price has fallen close to 40% over the past year.

This underperformance has been triggered by an almost daily onslaught of negative headlines on issues such as vaping-related health concerns, regulatory issues, and a deteriorating tobacco market. But with shares now trading at their lowest valuation in 10 years and a dividend yield approaching its peak spread versus treasuries, Altria looks compelling at current levels.

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Source Fool.com