Altria GroupMO

The P/E ratio tells you how much investors pay for each dollar of earnings. A lower P/E might mean the stock is undervalued — or that growth is slowing. Compare it to the industry average for context.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) shows how much profit the company makes for each share you own. Higher EPS generally means more profitable. If EPS is growing year over year, that's a good sign.

Dividend yield tells you what percentage of the stock price you'll get back annually in cash payments. A 3% yield means $3 per year for every $100 invested. Great for passive income.

Market cap is the total value of all shares. Large-cap ($10B+) companies are usually more stable. Mid-cap ($2-10B) offer growth potential. Small-cap (under $2B) are riskier but can grow fast.

Beta measures volatility compared to the market. Beta of 1.0 = moves with the market. Above 1.0 = more volatile (bigger swings). Below 1.0 = more stable. Choose based on your risk tolerance.

Profit margin shows what percentage of revenue becomes actual profit. Higher is better — it means the company keeps more of each dollar it earns. Compare to industry peers.