Background and Basis of Presentation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2014

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Background and Basis of Presentation

Background and Basis of Presentation:

Background

At March 31, 2014, Altria Group, Inc.’s wholly-owned subsidiaries included Philip Morris USA Inc. (“PM USA”), which is engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and certain smokeless tobacco products in the United States; John Middleton Co. (“Middleton”), which is engaged in the manufacture and sale of machine-made large cigars and pipe tobacco and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PM USA; and UST LLC (“UST”), which through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company LLC (“USSTC”) and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Ltd. (“Ste. Michelle”), is engaged in the manufacture and sale of smokeless tobacco products and wine. Altria Group, Inc.’s other operating companies included Nu Mark LLC (“Nu Mark”), a wholly-owned subsidiary, which is engaged in the manufacture and sale of innovative tobacco products, and Philip Morris Capital Corporation (“PMCC”), a wholly-owned subsidiary, which maintains a portfolio of leveraged and direct finance leases. Other Altria Group, Inc. wholly-owned subsidiaries included Altria Group Distribution Company, which provides sales, distribution and consumer engagement services to Altria Group, Inc.’s operating subsidiaries, and Altria Client Services Inc., which provides various support services, such as legal, regulatory, finance, human resources and external affairs, to Altria Group, Inc.’s operating subsidiaries. Altria Group, Inc.’s access to the operating cash flows of its wholly-owned subsidiaries consists of cash received from the payment of dividends and distributions, and the payment of interest on intercompany loans by its subsidiaries. At March 31, 2014, Altria Group, Inc.’s principal wholly-owned subsidiaries were not limited by long-term debt or other agreements in their ability to pay cash dividends or make other distributions with respect to their common stock.

At March 31, 2014, Altria Group, Inc. also held approximately 26.8% of the economic and voting interest of SABMiller plc (“SABMiller”) , which Altria Group, Inc. accounts for under the equity method of accounting. Altria Group, Inc. receives cash dividends on its interest in SABMiller if and when SABMiller pays such dividends.

Share Repurchases

Altria Group, Inc.’s share repurchase activity was as follows:

	For the Three Months Ended March 31,
	2014		2013
	(in millions, except per share data)
Total number of shares repurchased	7.5		1.7
Aggregate cost of shares repurchased	$	272	$	57
Average price per share of shares repurchased	$	35.98	$	34.05

Altria Group, Inc.’s Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors”) authorized a $1.0 billion share repurchase program in October 2011 and expanded it to $1.5 billion in October 2012 (as expanded, the “October 2011 share repurchase program”). During the first quarter of 2013, Altria Group, Inc. completed the October 2011 share repurchase program. Under the October 2011 share repurchase program, Altria Group, Inc. repurchased a total of 48.3 million shares of its common stock at an average price of $31.06 per share.

The Board of Directors authorized a $300 million share repurchase program in April 2013 and expanded it to $1.0 billion in August 2013 (as expanded, the “April 2013 share repurchase program”). At March 31, 2014, Altria Group, Inc. had approximately $185 million remaining in the April 2013 share repurchase program. The timing of share repurchases under the April 2013 share repurchase program depends upon marketplace conditions and other factors. The April 2013 share repurchase program remains subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors.

Basis of Presentation

The interim condensed consolidated financial statements of Altria Group, Inc. are unaudited. It is the opinion of Altria Group, Inc.’s management that all adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the interim results presented have been reflected therein. All such adjustments were of a normal recurring nature. Net revenues and net earnings for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year.

These statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes, which appear in Altria Group, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013.

Certain prior-period amounts have been reclassified to conform with the current-period presentation, due primarily to the reclassification of changes in book overdrafts on Altria Group, Inc.’s condensed consolidated statements of cash flows to operating activities. These amounts were previously classified as financing activities.