What does the company do?
Altria Group, Inc. (ALG) is a holding company. As of December 31, 2008, ALG’s wholly owned subsidiaries included Philip Morris USA Inc. (PM USA) and John Middleton Co. (Middleton). Philip Morris Capital Corporation (PMCC), another wholly owned subsidiary, maintains a portfolio of leveraged and direct finance leases. In addition, the Company held a 28.5% interest in SABMiller plc (SABMiller), as of December 31, 2008. On January 6, 2009, the Company acquired UST Inc. (UST), which owns operating companies engaged in the manufacture and sale of smokeless tobacco products and wine. On March 28, 2008, it completed the spin-off of Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) to Altria Group, Inc.
How much does the company sell and earn?
Investors need to know how much stuff or services a company sells, and how much of that total it keeps as income (or profit) to grow its business or return to shareholders. The more of each, the better. In general, look for companies that sell and earn more than peers.
- Altria Group one-year sales: 22.20 Bil.
Difference from the average for the Cigarettes group: -38.82% - Altria Group one-year income: 3.16 Bil.
Difference from the average for the Cigarettes group: -30.19%| Sales & Income (past 12 months) | Company | Industry |
|---|
| Sales | 22.20 Bil | 36.28 Bil | | Income | 3.16 Bil | 4.52 Bil |
How fast is the company growing?
- Altria Group one-year sales growth: 19.30%.
Difference from the average for the Cigarettes group: 10.90 pct. pts. - Altria Group one-year income growth: 5.50%.
| Sales & Income Growth (past 12 months) | Company | Industry |
|---|
| Sales Growth | 19.30% | 8.40% | | Income Growth | 5.50% | -1.10% |
How profitable is the company?
Investors prefer companies that increase profit margins -- the percentage of sales that they keep -- every year. This is accomplished either by lowering expenses or raising prices. Look for companies that consistently find ways to squeeze more profits out of sales than their peers.
- Altria Group one-year net profit margin: 14.2%
Difference from the company's 5-year average net profit margin: 1.5 pct. pts.
Difference from the average for the Cigarettes group: -0.7 pct. pts.
| Net profit margins (%) |
|---|
| Company | 14.2% | | Company 5-Yr Avg. | 12.7% | | Industry | 14.9% |
How is the company's financial health?
The debt/equity ratio shows how much a firm has borrowed as a percentage of its stock equity. The lower, the better.
- Altria Group debt/equity ratio: 3.21.
Difference from the average for the Cigarettes group: 40.17%.
| | Company | Industry |
|---|
| Debt/equity ratio | 3.21 | 2.29 |
|
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