Altria Group (MO), a stock which has beaten the S&P 500 over the past six years (not including 2017) and richly rewarded investors with an excellent dividend track record, is now almost 16% away from its 52-week high and broadly lagging the market.
Source: altria.com
Ever since the FDA announced its new plans for Big Tobacco on July 28, Altria's stock has been in a largely uninterrupted downward spiral. Neither solid earnings released just a day before that FDA announcement, nor Altria's late August 8% dividend hike, nor Altria's Q3/2017 earnings beat and guidance affirmation was sufficient to break that spell.
