Key Points
- Vapor sales fell 17.2%;
- Oral tobacco rose 5.8%;
- BAT oral sales jumped 28.3%;
- Altria vapor sales fell 56.9%;
- ZYN Ultra rolls out this month.
2Firsts
June 10, 2026 — According to Investing.com, Bank of America (BofA) released U.S. nicotine scanner data for the four weeks ending May 30, 2026, showing mixed performance across nicotine product categories.
Overall cigarette industry dollar sales declined 3.3%, with volume down 7.4% and price mix up 4.4%.
The vapor category was weak, with dollar sales down 17.2%, volume down 12.5% and price mix down 5.3%.
Cigar sales fell 4.4%, with volume down 8.8%, while price mix rose 4.9%.
Oral tobacco was the main growth category, with sales up 5.8%, volume up 0.4% and price mix up 5.4%.
By company, Altria Group (NYSE: MO) posted cigarette sales down 3.2%, with volume down 6.9% and price mix up 4.0%.
However, Altria gained 20 basis points of cigarette volume share.
Altria’s vapor business came under significant pressure, with sales down 56.9% and volume down 58.9%. Despite a 5.1% price-mix increase, the company lost 3.1 percentage points of vapor share.
Altria’s cigar sales rose 3.4%, with share up 240 basis points.
Its oral and smokeless tobacco sales declined 2.9%, with volume down 12.9% and price mix up 11.5%, resulting in a 4.6 percentage-point share loss.
The report also noted that Altria’s on! Plus moist pouch became available nationally in late March.
Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM) recorded smokeless and oral tobacco sales growth of 0.6%, with volume down 4.9% and price mix up 5.9%.
PMI lost 180 basis points of smokeless volume share.
PMI’s cigar sales fell 11.3%, with share down 20 basis points.
The report said PMI’s ZYN Ultra moist pouch is being rolled out in the United States this month.
British American Tobacco (NYSE: BTI) reported cigarette sales down 5.3%, with volume down 10.9% and price mix up 6.3%, resulting in a 110-basis-point volume share loss.
However, BAT outperformed the broader vapor category, with vapor sales up 8.8% and share up 800 basis points.
BAT’s oral and smokeless tobacco business delivered the strongest growth, with sales up 28.3%, volume up 26.9%, price mix up 1.1% and share up 590 basis points.
Imperial Brands posted cigarette sales down 2.5%, with volume down 9.5%, price mix up 7.7% and share down 20 basis points.
Imperial’s vapor sales fell 21.6%, with share down 10 basis points, while cigar sales dropped 10.0% and share fell 100 basis points.
However, its smokeless and oral sales rose 34.6%, with share up 30 basis points.
Japan Tobacco (TYO: 2914) recorded cigarette sales up 2.6%, with volume up 0.8%, price mix up 1.8% and share up 70 basis points.
Japan Tobacco’s vapor sales fell 12.2%, while its share remained stable.
Overall, the data indicate a structural shift in the U.S. nicotine market, with cigarette volumes continuing to decline, vapor under pressure and oral tobacco remaining a growth category.
BAT gained share in both vapor and oral tobacco, while PMI and Altria are strengthening their oral nicotine portfolios through new moist pouch products such as ZYN Ultra and on! Plus.
Industry observers said competition in U.S. oral nicotine is likely to intensify as moist pouch products roll out nationally, making the category an increasingly important growth battleground for major tobacco companies.
Cover image:Investing.com / Bank of America
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