Altria sets 2028 smoke-free product goals

On March 23rd, Altria CEO Billy Gifford and his executive team announced the company's 2028 business objectives at an investor day conference held on the New York Stock Exchange. These objectives included financial metrics and sales revenue targets for their smokeless products in the United States, with a specific emphasis on their successful acquisition of e-cigarette company NJOY.

Billy Gifford | Source: Altria Official Website New Objectives and New Products

Gifford stated that their sales of smoke-free products in 2028 will increase by at least 35% from the base number of 800 million in 2022. In terms of revenue, they project that their smoke-free net income will double to $5 billion, with $2 billion of that coming from innovative smoke-free products, from a base of $2.6 billion in 2022.

Research conducted by Altria suggests that young people are not very interested in starting to use tobacco by trying nicotine pouches, which is currently one of their rapidly growing products. The company plans to introduce new products, but they will not be attractive to primarily smoking adults who are looking for heated tobacco products that provide an experience closer to smoking.

They also announced two new smokeless products: the SWIC heated tobacco capsule product and the on! PLUS tobacco-derived nicotine pouch product.

Both of the aforementioned products have not yet submitted a pre-market tobacco product application (PMTA) to the FDA.

According to Jing Guiford, "We are really close to delivering the final product." As for the share of the US tobacco industry, "Our goal is to maintain our leading position.

The Desire to Expand Overseas Markets

Furthermore, Jifude expressed a desire to engage in commercial competition outside of the American nicotine market.

PMI smoke-free products | Source: PMI official website

It is worth noting that according to 2FIRSTS, PMI announced during its 2021 Investor Day that it aims to have 50% of its net revenue come from non-combustible products by 2025, which currently stands at approximately one-third.

Philip Morris International (PMI) has announced plans to enter the US market in order to achieve its target. This will be achieved through a $16 billion acquisition of Swedish Match, a manufacturer of orally ingested nicotine pouches specifically geared towards the American market, which is set to take place in 2022.

Analyzing Smokeless Products

Smoke-free products refer to smokable or chewable items that do not burn tobacco, such as electronic cigarettes, heat-not-burn tobacco products, nicotine pouches, and chewing tobacco. These products are often advertised as having less impact on health because they do not release combustion byproducts such as tar and carbon monoxide, unlike traditional cigarettes. Compared to continuously smoking traditional cigarettes, using smoke-free products can lower the risk of smoking-related illnesses, but they still contain nicotine and do not eliminate the risk of addiction.

Further reading:

Tobacco company Altria acquires third-largest American e-cigarette company NJOY for $2.75 billion.

Reference:

Altria recently held an investor day, during which they introduced their 2028 enterprise goals, provided updates on their product development efforts, and reaffirmed their 2023 full-year earnings guidance.

Altria, the tobacco company behind Marlboro and other popular cigarette brands, has pledged to fully transition away from the production of traditional combustible cigarettes. The company plans to focus on developing and promoting less harmful alternatives, such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, in a bid to appeal to health-conscious consumers. Altria's promise comes amidst broader concerns over the health risks associated with smoking and decreasing demand for traditional cigarettes.

PMI intends to have a mostly smoke-free business by 2025.

Altria is expanding its range of smoke-free products.