Head to head · SEC data as of July 18, 2026
Altria
75
Quality score · out of 100
Philip Morris
78
Quality score · out of 100
On paper this one is nearly a draw: Altria scores 75 and Philip Morris scores 78 out of 100 in our fundamental quality model. Philip Morris wins on gross margin (67.3% vs 63.1%) and revenue growth (7.3% vs -2.1%). Altria answers with net margin (34.3% vs 26.7%), cash generation (FCF) (36.8% vs 25.7%) and earnings growth (14.1% vs 6.3%).
| Metric | Altria | Philip Morris |
|---|---|---|
| Quality score (0-100) | 75 | 78 |
| Net margin | 34.3% | 26.7% |
| Gross margin | 63.1% | 67.3% |
| ROE | — | — |
| Net debt/EBITDA | 1.86× | 2.3× |
| FCF margin | 36.8% | 25.7% |
| Revenue growth (annualized) | -2.1% | 7.3% |
| Earnings growth (annualized) | 14.1% | 6.3% |
TTM metrics with official SEC data, refreshed daily. Bold green marks the winner of each metric. A dash means the metric doesn't apply or isn't reliable.
Altria. Altria sells tobacco in the U.S.: it owns Marlboro in that market. It's the classic structurally declining yet enormously profitable business: it sells fewer cigarettes every year but raises prices and pays out nearly all profit as dividends.
Philip Morris. Philip Morris International sells tobacco outside the U.S., with Marlboro as its flagship brand. Its big future bet is the cigarette that heats tobacco without burning it (IQOS) and other 'smoke-free' products, with which it aims to replace the declining traditional cigarette.
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What this comparison doesn't tell you
The score measures business quality, not whether the stock is cheap or expensive: the better company can be the worse investment if you overpay. For the valuation verdict, enter each one's current price in the analyzer:
Who has the stronger fundamentals today, Altria or Philip Morris?
They're practically tied: Altria and Philip Morris score 78 and 75 out of 100 in the StockSemáforo model (profitability, growth and financial strength, built on official SEC data). The score is recomputed nightly with the latest filings.
Does that make Philip Morris the better investment?
No. The score measures business quality, not valuation: an excellent company can trade at an excessive price and be a poor investment at that price. To find out whether it's cheap or expensive, enter its current quote in the StockSemáforo analyzer.
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Who's behind the methodology and model · how the score is computed
Data: official SEC filings (EDGAR) · Recomputed on July 18, 2026
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