Altria Group Inc vs Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund — how do they compare? Altria Group Inc trades at $71.31 (market cap $115.85B), while Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund trades at $83.03 (market cap $13.44B). The key difference: Altria Group Inc is far larger — about 8.6× Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund's market cap, and Altria Group Inc pays a 6.4% dividend while Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Altria Group Inc for 154 Days and Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund for 72 Days on average.
| MO | XLP | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $115.85B | $13.44B |
Volume | 6,934,962 | 9,437,177 |
Sector | Consumer Staples | — |
52-Week High | $74.92 | $90.00 |
52-Week Low | $54.72 | $75.61 |
Typical Hold Time | 154 Days | 72 Days |
Enterprise Value | $138.06B | — |
Dividend Yield | 6.4% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Altria Group (MO) trades at $71.43, up 4.2% today, showing strong momentum despite mixed earnings history with two misses and one beat in recent quarters. The stock maintains a 6.6% dividend yield with 60 consecutive annual increases, supported by robust cash flow generation. Technical indicators show a bullish trend with current price near resistance at $71, while fundamentals reveal stable revenue around $20B annually but declining profit margins from 55.1% in 2024 to 34.5% in 2025.
MO presents a high-yield opportunity with strong cash flows but faces significant headwinds including negative shareholder equity, regulatory pressures, and declining cigarette volumes. Analyst consensus remains positive with 62% buy ratings and $69.71 price target, though the stock trades slightly above this target. The company's transition to smoke-free products remains critical for long-term sustainability amid changing consumer preferences.
XLP trades at $81.70, down 0.09% with a bearish technical outlook as moving averages signal selling pressure. The ETF shows strong analyst support with a 100% buy rating from 2 analysts. Recent news highlights XLP's 6.6% YTD gain outperforming discretionary peers, though it faces headwinds from rising interest rates pressuring dividend stocks.
XLP offers defensive exposure to consumer staples with a low 0.08% expense ratio and upcoming dividend. Key risks include persistent inflation and interest rate sensitivity, but the fund's quality holdings provide stability during market volatility. The technical setup suggests near-term consolidation around current levels.
Trailing returns across standard periods
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
Latest headlines on both assets
Altria comprises Philip Morris USA, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco, John Middleton, Helix Innovations, and Philip Morris Capital, although the company plans to wind down Philip Morris Capital by the end of 2022. It holds a 10% interest in the world's largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev. Through its tobacco subsidiaries, Altria holds the leading position in cigarettes and smokeless tobacco in the United States and the number-two spot in machine-made cigars. The company's Marlboro brand is the leading cigarette brand in the U.S. with a 43% share in 2020. Altria holds strategic investments in JUUL Labs (35% economic interest) and Cronos (42%).
Read more on MO →In seeking to track the performance of the index, the fund employs a replication strategy. It generally invests substantially all, but at least 95%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the index. The index includes companies that have been identified as Consumer Staples companies by the GICS®. It is non-diversified.
Read more on XLP →