MO vs PM — which stock performed better?

Altria Group, Inc. (MO) versus Philip Morris International Inc. (PM), Consumer Staples, on 2026-07-31.

Result

Altria Group, Inc. (MO) performed better on 2026-07-31. MO moved 1.260%, PM moved 0.940%.

Why these two companies

Altria reported Q2 2026 earnings on July 30, 2026, posting a narrow adjusted EPS miss ($1.48 versus $1.49 expected) despite a revenue beat, and shares plunged roughly 8.5% to $68.54 as continued cigarette-volume pressure overshadowed smoke-free progress. That selloff reignites the long-running debate between the two companies that split from a single Marlboro business in 2008: domestically-focused, high-yield Altria versus internationally-diversified, faster-growing Philip Morris and its IQOS and ZYN smoke-free franchises.

The research

Altria sells Marlboro and other cigarette brands inside the United States, along with newer smoke-free products like nicotine pouches, and is best known for paying out a very large share of its profit as dividends. Philip Morris International sells Marlboro and other tobacco brands everywhere outside the U.S., and has built much of its recent growth around IQOS heated-tobacco devices and the ZYN nicotine pouch brand.

One reason to like Altria going into this matchup is that its stock just dropped sharply after missing earnings expectations on July 30, 2026, which some investors may see as an overreaction and a buying opportunity given the company still beat on revenue. One reason to like Philip Morris is that its smoke-free products have generally been growing faster than Altria's, giving it a clearer path to offsetting the long-term decline in cigarette smoking.

One thing to keep in mind with Altria is that it depends heavily on the U.S. market alone, so any new American regulation or tax change hits it directly with nowhere else to spread the impact. One thing to keep in mind with Philip Morris is that because it operates in dozens of countries, its results can swing with currency exchange rates and with regulatory decisions made far outside the United States.