Where Will Altria Be in 5 Years?
On the surface, the most important product that Altria (NYSE: MO) sells, cigarettes, is really attractive, in business terms. Customers who smoke cigarettes tend to keep using them because, well, nicotine is addictive. The problem is that the world has changed and smoking has gone from desirable to anathema to a larger and larger swath of the country Altria serves. This is a big problem for the business.
For years there was a debate about whether cigarettes cause cancer. That debate is now over, and Altria and other cigarette companies have paid large legal settlements over the years. They also agreed to government regulation through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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Source Fool.com
