Altria - does the dividend aristocrat have a future?

It was extraordinary what Altria announced on the subject of dividends in August 2021. The management announced the 56th dividend increase in the last 52 years. This makes the US tobacco company one of the most attractive dividend payers in the world.

Headwinds:

Only this week news came over the ticker, which should not have tasted the tobacco industry so at all. New Zealand is planning to become a smoke-free country with its "Smokefree 2025 Action Plan" law.

Young people who are younger than 14 when the law comes into force will never be allowed to legally buy tobacco products in their lives. In general, smokers will only be able to buy cigarettes with a very low nicotine content.

There are also plans to restrict the number of stores that are allowed to sell tobacco products. These are all measures that will probably have an effect.

Let's look a little closer at Altria's nine-month report. Revenue fell 0.5 percent year-over-year to $19.8 billion from January to September 2021.

Earnings per share rose 4.5 percent to $3.52 per share. For the full year 2021, Altria now expects earnings per share to be between $4.58 and $4.62 per share.

Do you still think the tobacco industry is worthwhile?