We recently compiled a list of the 12 Best 5% Dividend Stocks To Buy According To Hedge Funds. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) stands against the other dividend stocks.

Dividend investors have often debated the balance between high yields and dividend growth. Analysts tend to favor companies with robust dividend growth, advising investors to avoid the yield traps. However, many studies suggest that high dividend yields aren’t necessarily a negative factor.

An example of this is a report from Newton Investment Management, which found that high-yield dividend stocks outperformed the broader market during periods of high inflation between 1940 and 2021. The report also showed that portfolios with high-yield dividend stocks performed better than those with low or no dividends, with high-yield portfolios exceeding low-yield ones by 199 basis points and zero-yield portfolios by 330 basis points. While the findings are insightful, the report lacks details on the specific market conditions during these periods, offering only a general overview of high-yield stock performance. Analysts have closely studied how dividend stocks fare during market volatility, given the heightened need for consistent income. As a result, they recommend considering high-yield stocks only if these companies also demonstrate a solid track record of dividend growth.

Also read: 10 Best Dividend Stocks Yielding at Least 7% According to Analysts

This is a common challenge for investors, who often believe that companies with strong dividend growth don’t offer high yields. However, this isn’t necessarily the case. Many companies provide above-average dividend yields while also maintaining solid records of dividend growth. In fact, dividend yield plays an important role in sustaining dividend growth. For example, the Dividend Aristocrats Index, which includes companies that have increased their dividends for 25 consecutive years, has managed to maintain a high yield without sacrificing growth. Over the 26 years ending in 2023, the index consistently outperformed its benchmark while maintaining yields between 2% and 2.9%. On average, the index yielded 2.5%, notably higher than the market average of 1.8%, as reported by S&P Dow Jones Indices.

Analysts typically recommend targeting dividend yields between 3% and 6%, as this range tends to offer the best balance of potential for both dividend growth and stock price appreciation. A report from Nuveen highlighted that global companies with moderate dividend yields (ranging from 0% to 3%) generally show stronger earnings growth, profitability, and profit margins compared to those with higher yields or no dividends at all. These factors also help reduce risk, particularly in times of market volatility.

Another study by Wellington Management highlighted the historical outperformance of high-yield stocks. The report analyzed dividend-paying stocks in the broader market index from 1930 to 2019 and grouped them into five categories based on their dividend yields. The top 20% of dividend payers performed the best, followed by the moderate dividend group, both surpassing the broader market in multiple periods. However, the lower dividend groups showed less consistent performance and generally underperformed the index. Given this, we will now take a look at some of the best dividend stocks with over 5% yield.

Our Methodology:

For this list, we scanned Insider Monkey’s database of 900 hedge funds as of the third quarter of 2024 and picked 12 dividend stocks that have yields above 5%, as of February 5. These companies have strong histories of paying dividends to shareholders. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of hedge funds’ sentiment toward them.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 32

Dividend Yield as of February 5: 7.76%

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) is an American tobacco company, headquartered in Virginia. The company manufactures a wide range of related products including cigarettes and other nicotine products. In its Q4 2024 earnings, the company posted revenue of $5.11 billion, reflecting a 1.63% increase from the same quarter the previous year. This result also exceeded analysts’ forecasts by $59.6 million. The company’s strong brand performance drove income growth and margin expansion in its core tobacco segment, while it continued to make strategic investments for future growth. For 2025, Altria projects adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) to fall between $5.22 and $5.37, indicating a 2% to 5% increase from the 2024 baseline of $5.12.

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) has outperformed the market in the past 12 months, surging by nearly 30%. The tobacco industry has experienced significant changes in recent years. While global smoking rates have declined, more consumers are turning to smoke-free alternatives like e-cigarettes and oral tobacco, which are perceived as less harmful and are becoming increasingly popular. Altria Group, known for brands like Marlboro and Parliament, seems to be adapting well to these shifts by broadening its range of smoke-free products.

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) is a strong dividend payer, remaining committed to its shareholder obligation. In FY24, the company returned $6.8 billion to investors through dividends. In addition, it has raised its payouts for 55 years in a row. The company offers a quarterly dividend of $1.02 per share and has a dividend yield of 7.76%, as of February 5.

At the end of Q3 2024, 32 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey were bullish on Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO), compared with 36 in the previous quarter. The consolidated value of these stakes is over $2.27 billion. With over 22 million shares, Arrowstreet Capital was the company’s leading stakeholder in Q3.

Overall MO ranks 6th on our list of the best dividend stocks with over 5% yield. While we acknowledge the potential for MO as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MO but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stock To Buy Now and Complete List of 59 AI Companies Under $2 Billion in Market Cap

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.