Altria Group (MO) and Philip Morris International (PM) stand as titans in the tobacco industry, with MO dominating the U.S. market and PM leading internationally. This stock comparison examines their relative performance, business models, and market positioning amid a sector transition toward smoke-free alternatives like nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products. Dividend seekers, value investors, and traders navigating regulatory shifts and consumer trends will find value in understanding how these stocks stack up in the current environment, highlighting contrasts in growth, yields, and momentum for informed decision-making.
Altria Group (MO), the maker of Marlboro cigarettes and owner of on! and NJOY oral nicotine products, focuses primarily on the U.S. tobacco market. With a market capitalization of about $110 billion, it emphasizes high-margin smokeless alternatives amid declining cigarette volumes. In recent weeks, MO shares have traded around $66, near the upper end of their 52-week range of $54.70 to $70.51, reflecting solid momentum. Year-to-date gains of 16% have outpaced broader indices, driven by its attractive 6.4% dividend yield and defensive appeal. Sentiment has been bolstered by community investments exceeding $8 million and anticipation for Q1 earnings, underscoring resilience in a challenging regulatory landscape for traditional tobacco.
Philip Morris International (PM) operates globally outside the U.S., with flagship heated tobacco product IQOS and nicotine pouch ZYN fueling its smoke-free transformation. Boasting a $251 billion market cap, it reported robust Q1 2026 revenue of $10.15 billion, surpassing expectations by 1.7%, with adjusted EPS of $1.96. Shares jumped post-earnings but faced pullback to around $161 amid a lowered full-year profit forecast of $8.36-$8.51 per share due to U.S. regulatory delays on ZYN. YTD performance lags at 1%, within a 52-week range of $142-$191, as international growth offsets domestic headwinds but introduces higher volatility.
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In business models, MO’s U.S.-centric focus delivers superior profit margins (34%) versus PM’s global operations, which offer broader revenue diversification but expose it to currency and geopolitical risks. Growth drivers differ: PM boasts faster top-line expansion through IQOS adoption, while MO prioritizes pricing power and oral nicotine. Recent momentum favors MO with consistent uptrends and lower beta (0.45 for both, but MO less volatile). Risk factors include regulatory scrutiny on pouches for both, though PM faces more international hurdles. Sector exposure aligns in tobacco, but market sentiment tilts toward MO for value and stability in recent trading.
Tickeron’s AI models currently lean toward Altria Group (MO) over Philip Morris International (PM), based on superior trend consistency, relative YTD outperformance, higher yield stability, and attractive valuation amid upcoming catalysts. While PM shows smoke-free growth potential, near-term regulatory pressures weigh on its positioning. This probabilistic edge favors MO for traders eyeing defensive tobacco plays in volatile markets.
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It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
MO’s FA Score shows that 5 FA rating(s) are green whilePM’s FA Score has 3 green FA rating(s).
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
MO’s TA Score shows that 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while PM’s TA Score has 5 bullish TA indicator(s).
MO (@Tobacco) experienced а -0.35% price change this week, while PM (@Tobacco) price change was +3.37% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Tobacco industry was -1.82%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -11.76%, and the average quarterly price growth was -11.89%.
MO is expected to report earnings on Jul 30, 2026.
PM is expected to report earnings on Jul 22, 2026.
The industry is engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products like cigarettes. In 2017, tobacco companies spent an estimated $9.36 billion marketing cigarettes and smokeless tobacco in the U.S. – an amount that translates to more than $25 million each day (according to a CDC report). Philip Morris International Inc., Altria Group Inc., and British American Tobacco plc are some major cigar makers. In recent times, vaping or the use of e-cigarette (does not burn tobacco) is gaining momentum – several established cigarette makers are trying to expand their footprint in this new market.
| MO | PM | MO / PM | |
| Capitalization | 120B | 287B | 42% |
| EBITDA | 12B | 17.9B | 67% |
| Gain YTD | 26.856 | 15.926 | 169% |
| P/E Ratio | 15.02 | 25.95 | 58% |
| Revenue | 20.4B | 41.5B | 49% |
| Total Cash | 3.53B | 5.45B | 65% |
| Total Debt | 24.6B | 51.9B | 47% |
MO | PM | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 27 | 77 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 15 Undervalued | 19 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 7 | 12 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 6 | 3 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 25 | 50 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 19 | 62 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
MO's Valuation (15) in the Tobacco industry is in the same range as PM (19). This means that MO’s stock grew similarly to PM’s over the last 12 months.
MO's Profit vs Risk Rating (7) in the Tobacco industry is in the same range as PM (12). This means that MO’s stock grew similarly to PM’s over the last 12 months.
PM's SMR Rating (3) in the Tobacco industry is in the same range as MO (6). This means that PM’s stock grew similarly to MO’s over the last 12 months.
MO's Price Growth Rating (25) in the Tobacco industry is in the same range as PM (50). This means that MO’s stock grew similarly to PM’s over the last 12 months.
MO's P/E Growth Rating (19) in the Tobacco industry is somewhat better than the same rating for PM (62). This means that MO’s stock grew somewhat faster than PM’s over the last 12 months.
| MO | PM | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 7 days ago 52% | 3 days ago 50% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 43% | 3 days ago 45% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 57% | 3 days ago 50% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 40% | 3 days ago 49% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 37% | 3 days ago 58% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 49% | 3 days ago 52% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 5 days ago 55% | 5 days ago 57% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 14 days ago 36% | 14 days ago 48% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 59% | 3 days ago 58% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 7 days ago 56% | 3 days ago 50% |
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, MO has been loosely correlated with PM. These tickers have moved in lockstep 48% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if MO jumps, then PM could also see price increases.