I'm now looking for a third consumer defensive sector representative for my new Ivy portfolio.

That defensive sector includes thirteen industries all related to providing convenient packaged goods we've just gotta have. Industries like: beverages, brewed, soft, or distilled; confections; discount stores; education & training; farm products; food distribution; grocery stores; household & personal products; packaged goods; pharmaceutical retailers; tobacco.

Today I'm reviewing a large-cap tobacco company, named Altria Group Inc. It's trading ticker symbol is MO.

Altria Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells cigarettes, smokeless products, and wine in the United States.

It offers cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; cigars principally under the Black & Mild brand; and moist smokeless tobacco products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands.

The company also produces and sells varietal and blended table wines and sparkling wines under the Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest, and 14 Hands names; and imports and markets Antinori, Torres, and Villa Maria Estate wines, as well as Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte in the United States.

Altria holds a 10.2% interest in the world's largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev.

In addition, it provides finance leasing services primarily in aircraft, electric power, railcar, real estate, and manufacturing industries. The company sells its tobacco products primarily to wholesalers, including distributors; large retail organizations, such as chain stores; and the armed services.

Altria Group, Inc. was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.

I use three key data points to gauge the value of any dividend equity-like Altria Group Inc:

(1) Price

(2) Dividends

(3) Returns

Besides those three, several other keys will finally unlock an equity or fund in which to invest.

Those first three primary keys, however, best tell whether a company has made, is making, and will make money.

MO Price

Altria's price per share closed at $49.04 yesterday. A year ago its price was $69.40. So price dropped $20.36 per share last year, over 41%.

Assuming Altria's stock trades in the range of $40 to $60 next year, Altria's recent $49.04 price could pick up by another $0.96 and go to $50.00 by early-February, 2020.

MO Dividends

Altria's most recent Quarterly dividend was $0.80 paid January 10th.

That $0.80 quarterly payout equates to a  $3.20 annual payout and a yield of 6.525% at yesterday's $49.04 closing price.

Gains For MO?

Adding the $3.20 annual estimated dividend to my $0.96 Altria estimated price upside shows a $4.16 potential gross annual gain, per share, which will be reduced by costs to trade those shares.

Say we put a little under $1,000.00 today at the $49.04 recent stock price would buy us 20 Altria Group Inc shares.

A $10 broker fee paid half at purchase and half at sale costs $0.50 per share.

Subtract that $0.50 brokerage cost from the estimated $4.16 gross annual gain leaves a net gain of $3.66 X 20  shares

= $73.20

for 7.4% net gain on a $980.80 investment.

Therefore, Altria Group Inc whose trading ticker symbol is MO now shows a possible net gain of 7.4% including its estimated 6.5% dividend yield.

Seventeen  brokers cover this stock:

Six say "Buy" Altria.

Three think Altria sill "outperform" it's industry peers.

Six say "hold" your Altria shares.

Two say "sell" Altria.

Their seventeen analyst consensus is 'outperform."

Therefore, you can look at Altria Group Inc and see it has made money, is making money, and could make 7.4% over the next year including its 6.5% estimated dividend yield. It could be more, it could be less.

The above speculation is based on past year performance. The actual results remain to be seen to determine if Altria Group Inc worth your time and money.