Altria Group Inc. (MO): Today's Featured Consumer Goods Laggard

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

Altria Group (MO) pushed the Consumer Goods sector lower today making it today's featured Consumer Goods laggard. The sector as a whole closed the day up 0.6%. By the end of trading, Altria Group fell 47 cents (-1.4%) to $33.97 on average volume. Throughout the day, 11.3 million shares of Altria Group exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 10.8 million shares. The stock ranged in price between $33.92-$34.58 after having opened the day at $34.50 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $34.44. Other companies within the Consumer Goods sector that declined today were: Tianli Agritech (OINK), down 7.6%, China New Borun Corporation (BORN), down 6.5%, Frederick's of Hollywood Group (FOH), down 5.9%, and Origin Agritech (SEED), down 5.4%.

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Altria Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, smokeless products, and wine in the United States and internationally. Altria Group has a market cap of $70.32 billion and is part of the tobacco industry. The company has a P/E ratio of 15.9, below the average tobacco industry P/E ratio of 16.8 and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 16.2% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday. Currently there are seven analysts that rate Altria Group a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and six rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Altria Group as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, notable return on equity, solid stock price performance, compelling growth in net income and impressive record of earnings per share growth. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had generally high debt management risk by most measures that we evaluated.

• You can view the full Altria Group Ratings Report.

On the positive front, Shiner International (BEST), up 22.1%, Enova Systems (ENA), up 12.4%, ATC Venture Group (ATC), up 9.6%, and Elecsys Corporation (ESYS), up 9.3%, were all gainers within the consumer goods sector with Dean Foods Company (DF) being today's featured consumer goods sector leader.

• Use our consumer goods section to find sector-relevant news.
• Or find some new ideas from our top rated stocks lists.

For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the consumer goods sector could consider iShares Dow Jones US Cons Goods (IYK) while those bearish on the consumer goods sector could consider ProShares Ultra Sht Consumer Goods (SZK).

• Find other investment ideas from our top rated ETFs lists.

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For more information on Altria Group Inc. click any of the following:

• Altria Group Inc. Stock Price

• Altria Group Inc. Analyst Ratings

• Altria Group Inc. Key Stats & Profile

• Altria Group Inc. Earnings

• Altria Group Inc. Ratio Comparison

• Altria Group Inc. Growth Rates

• Altria Group Inc. Balance Sheet

• Altria Group Inc. Cash Flow

• Altria Group Inc. Income Statement