Marlboro cigarette manufacturers Philip Morris International (PMI) and Altria are in talks about a $200bn re-merger, a decade after Altria spun off the PMI operation. Analysts have said the deal would give Altria’s 35%-owned e-cigarette operation Juul a global expansion partner. They also said the re-merger could be on the cards because of cigarette sales falling by 4.5% globally in 2018. Altria makes Marlboro for the US market while PMI handles the rest of the world and sells Parliament and Virginia brands, along with e-cigarettes. Talk of the re-merger sent shares of competitor British Tobacco down by 3%.
Marlboro cigarette manufacturers Philip Morris International (PMI) and Altria are in talks about a $200bn re-merger, a decade after Altria spun off the PMI operation. Analysts have said the deal would give Altria’s 35%-owned e-cigarette operation Juul a global expansion partner. They also said the re-merger could be on the cards because of cigarette sales falling by 4.5% globally in 2018. Altria makes Marlboro for the US market while PMI handles the rest of the world and sells Parliament and Virginia brands, along with e-cigarettes. Talk of the re-merger sent shares of competitor British American Tobacco down by 3%.