Looking for staples-strength income? We’ve screened the sector for its most resilient payout profiles. Below are the consumer staples names currently leading the market in yield.

B&G Foods (BGS) – Dividend Yield – 13.89%

Flowers Foods (FLO) – Dividend Yield – 10.88%

United-Guardian (UG) – Dividend Yield – 7.92%

Conagra Brands (CAG) – Dividend Yield – 7.36%

The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC) – Dividend Yield – 6.52%

Altria Group (MO) – Dividend Yield – 6.37%

Energizer Holdings (ENR) – Dividend Yield – 6.21%

Universal Corporation (UVV) – Dividend Yield – 6.19%

The Campbell’s Company (CPB) – Dividend Yield – 6.05%

General Mills (GIS) – Dividend Yield – 5.51%

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Net revenue decreased 2.1% during the quarter to $5.8 billion, primarily driven by lower net revenues in the smokeable products segment.

In the smokeable products segment, revenue decreased 2.7%, primarily driven by lower shipment volume and higher promotional investments, partially offset by higher pricing. Revenues net of excise taxes decreased 1.1%. The smokeable products segment reported domestic cigarette shipment volume decreased 7.9%, primarily driven by the industry’s decline rate (impacted by the continued growth of illicit e-vapor products and discretionary income pressures on ANCs) and trade inventory movements.

Oral tobacco product revenue increased 2.0%, primarily driven by higher pricing, partially offset by lower shipment volume and a higher percentage of on! Shipment volume relative to MST versus the prior year (mix change). Revenues net of excise taxes increased 2.9%.

Adjusted diluted EPS was level with last year’s mark at $1.30, driven by a lower adjusted tax rate and fewer shares outstanding, offset by lower adjusted OCI. The EPS tally missed the consensus estimate of $1.32

“2025 was a year of continued momentum for Altria, marked by strong financial performance, strategic progress across our smoke-free portfolio, new relationships supporting our long-term growth goals, and significant cash returns to shareholders,” stated CEO Billy Gifford.

Looking ahead, Altria Group (MO) sees 2026 adjusted EPS of $5.56 to $5.72 (midpoint $5.64) vs. the consensus estimate of $5.59. The EPS forecast represents a growth rate of 2.5% to 5.5% from a base of $5.42 in 2025.

Altira (MO) also issued its 2028 enterprise goals. The company aims to deliver a mid-single-digit adjusted diluted EPS compounded annual growth rate in 2028 from a $4.871 base in 2022. Through 2025, Altria (MO) delivered a reported diluted EPS CAGR of 8.9% and an adjusted diluted EPS CAGR of 3.6% from the 2022 base. In addition, Altria (MO) aims for a progressive dividend goal targeting mid-single-digit dividend per share growth annually through 2028. “In 2025, we increased our dividend by 3.9%, marking the 60th increase in the past 56 years. Future dividend payments remain subject to the discretion of our board,” highlighted the company.

Shares of Altria (MO) edged 0.3% lower in premarket trading to $63.13 vs. the 52-week range of $50.08 to $68.60. The dividend yield for new buyers of the stock is 6.7%.

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The consensus EPS estimate for Altria is $1.32, a 2.3% Y/Y rise, while its

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The Marlboro maker’s shares gained over 10% in the preceding six sessions. On a year-to-date basis, the shares have gained 6%, outpacing the broader market, which rose by 1.45%.

Last month, the FDA issued Marketing Granted Orders for Altria’s six on! Plus moist nicotine pouches, including mint, tobacco, and wintergreen flavors in 6 mg and 9 mg strengths, as part of a pilot program.

Turning to the Wall Street community, five out of 15 analysts rated MO a Buy and above, eight analysts have given the stock a Hold recommendation, and two recommended Sell or below.

Looking at Seeking Alpha’s quant rating, MO has a Hold rating with a score of 3.17 out of 5. The company has been graded A+ for profitability but is dragged down by a D grade for growth.

However, Seeking Alpha analysts have issued a Buy call for Altria with six analysts rating it Buy and above, while four analysts suggested to Hold.

Seeking Alpha analyst Ben Holden-Crowther said that Altria remains heavily reliant on traditional cigarettes, with smoke-free products contributing minimally to revenues and earnings. Additionally, oral pouches (on!) also face significant competition from ZYNs (produced by Philip Morris).

“Despite these challenges, MO’s ~10x forward multiple appears cheap, and the 8.6x operating income multiple for cigarettes (based on FY24) as well as the firm’s well-covered 7.5% dividend yield will be attractive to income-focused investors,” Holden-Crowther added, rating it a Buy.

Over the past year, the stock rose nearly 20% so far this year, compared to a rise of more than 16% in the broader S&P 500 Index.

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Recent analyst actions feature notable shifts in both tobacco and tech sectors. Manika Premsingh has downgraded Altria (MO) to Hold, citing concerns about the company’s progress in tobacco-free products, while Amrita Roy has upgraded MongoDB (MDB) to Buy following two consecutive quarters of impressive revenue beats. On the downgrade side, Roy has also moved Pinterest (PINS) to Hold amid weak forward guidance, and Gary Alexander has upgraded HP (HPQ) from Sell to Hold as cost initiatives begin showing results.

Upgrades

• MongoDB (MDB): Upgrade Hold to Buy by Amrita Roy. The analyst points to two consecutive quarters of 800 basis point revenue beats and significant margin expansion, with the company’s Atlas platform accelerating growth and positioning itself as an essential layer in the AI infrastructure stack.

  “Over the last two quarters, MongoDB is increasingly executing a lot like Palantir, where it not only beat its revenue guidance by 800 basis points for two quarters straight from Atlas reacceleration but is also significantly raising forward revenue guidance while expanding operating margins at the same time. … While MongoDB is certainly not a ‘cheap’ company on a P/E ratio basis, it is at an inflection point.”

• HP (HPQ): Upgrade Sell to Hold by Gary Alexander. The analyst notes that the stock’s valuation has dropped over 20% since November while operational efficiency initiatives have intensified, creating a more balanced bull and bear case.

  “The company has deepened its commitment to efficiency, which could set the stage for profit improvement in FY26…The sole benefit to investing in HP is its cheapness plus its dividend.”

Downgrades

• Altria Group (MO): Downgrade Buy to Hold by Manika Premsingh. The analyst expresses concern over the company’s disappointing progress in tobacco-free products, particularly the stalled growth of its On! nicotine pouches brand.

  “As things stand, Altria has already failed to make a dent in the market for tobacco-free products. … If Altria is unable to make any sustained gains on next-generation nicotine products, its price can fall further. It’s not an entirely lost battle, though, so I’d still wait and watch if MO can make some progress.”

• Pinterest (PINS): Downgrade Buy to Hold by Amrita Roy. The analyst highlights weak Q4 guidance and slowing growth in the critical US & Canada market, which contributes over 75% of total revenue.

  “The way I see it, Pinterest management needs to present a bold new plan to revive growth back in the company, especially in its US & Canada region. Until that happens, I believe investor sentiment will remain depressed and the stock price will be range-bound.”

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By granting the products legal marketing status, the FDA effectively endorses a scientific conclusion that, under prescribed use and marketing conditions, the likely benefits of adult smokers switching or completely transitioning to these pouches can outweigh the risks, including potential youth uptake. Altria (MO) on! Plus becomes just the third flavored nicotine product, along with NJOY disposable vapes and ZYN, to receive market-granted orders.

Looking ahead, the development reduces regulatory overhang around at least part of Altria’s (MO) pouch portfolio and gives retailers and distributors more confidence to support on! Plus with wider distribution and merchandising, particularly in key growth states and convenience channels.

“Under this pilot program, we would anticipate British American Tobacco’s Velo Plus (moist), Philip Morris/Swedish Match’s ZYN Ultra (moist), and other dry/moist nicotine pouch products to have decisions released over the near term, which we believe will be beneficial to retailers/consumers alike to have more legal options that are less harmful than combustible cigarettes,” advised Bank of America analyst Lisa Lewandowski. The firm thinks that flavors will pay a key part in getting cigarette smokers to switch to the lower harm smoke-free products.

Altria (MO) was up 1.2% in late morning trading, while Philip Morris International (PM) rose 2.3% and British American Tobacco (BTI) gained 1.0%.

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