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Altria Group vs Philip Morris International: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Altria holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across growth and profitability. Philip Morris International does not offset that deficit through any equally strong structural edge elsewhere. The market setup is mixed, without a decisive signal in either direction. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-05-17

The clearest separation starts in growth, but profitability adds another real layer to the result. The overall score gap is 26 points in favour of Altria Group, Inc..

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Tobacco

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. MO and PM share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Altria and PM each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
MO
Altria Group, Inc.
79
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
PM
Philip Morris International Inc.
53
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

Score differences across key dimensions.

Dimension spread: MO vs PM Profitability 90 58 Stability 72 64 Valuation 86 59 Growth 60 24 MO PM
Gap Ranking
#1 Growth +36
#2 Profitability +32
#3 Valuation +27
#4 Stability +8
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for MO and PM Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer MOPM Relative valuation Structural strength

Altria Group, Inc. looks stronger on relative valuation, while the broader price setup remains mixed.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where MO and PM each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY MO Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 0 pct gap PM Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 99th 99th
MO (99th percentile) and PM (99th percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Growth
On growth, Altria Group, Inc. is positioned higher in the group, while Philip Morris International Inc. is closer to the middle.
Profitability
Both rank well on profitability, but Altria Group, Inc. still holds a clear edge.
Growth — Dominant Gap
MO
60
PM
24
Gap+36in favour of MO

Earnings growth is one contributing factor within the growth lead.

What else supports the lead

Profitability gives the lead a second hard layer of support, with a 26-point operating margin advantage.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both growth and profitability, making it broader than a single-dimension result.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the MO vs PM comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar growth-and-profitability comparisons

Explore how MO and PM each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.