04 Apr, 2026

Forget Tilray: This Boring Dividend Beast Is a Much Savvier Play

These days, the marijuana industry is no one’s idea of a high-growth sector loaded with potential. One of its signature stocks, Tilray Brands (NASDAQ: TLRY), is a case in point; the company is chronically unprofitable and, year to date, its shares are down by more than 12%. But what if I told you there’s a company in an adjacent industry that’s not only trading well in positive territory but is also habitually profitable and pays a high-yield dividend? And here’s the kicker — it’s deeply invested in the recreational cannabis business. Read on to find out about this investor favorite that’s a sneaky, sideways play on cannabis for marijuana bulls. Will AI create the world’s first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an “Indispensable Monopoly” providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Time to light up! That stock is tobacco giant Altria Group (NYSE: MO), which continues to be a moneymaking powerhouse despite the long-term, secular decline in cigarette consumption worldwide, especially in its native United States. Image source: Getty Images. It helps that the appeal of cigarettes is strong for any consumer with a smoking habit. Altria’s annual revenue regularly tops $20 billion, and, because traditional smokes are cheap to produce and can be sold at relatively high prices, net margins are lofty and free cash flow (FCF) is robust. The last factor is important for investors because the mountains of FCF Altria produces can, and always are, used to fund generous dividend payouts. Not only that, but the company management is always declaring dividend raises, so much so that Altria is a Dividend King, one of the few stocks that has increased its distribution at least once annually for a minimum of 50 years in a row. Currently, the company’s streak stands at 56. To a degree, it’s admirable that Altria has managed to keep its payout on the rise, because that’s not the trajectory of its revenue net of excise taxes. Since 2022, this has eroded every year (although we’re not talking steep declines — from 2021’s $21.1 billion, the metric slipped to $20.1 billion in 2025). Altria has made a concerted effort to wean itself from dependence on traditional cigarette sales. Early in this decade, the company launched its Moving Beyond Smoking strategy, an initiative to shift away from traditional cigarettes toward next-generation tobacco products. This move rests on oral nicotine products, vapes, and heated tobacco systems.