Altria enters into derivative financial instruments to mitigate the potential impact of certain market risks, including foreign currency exchange rate risk. Altria uses various types of derivative financial instruments, including forward contracts, options and swaps. Altria does not enter into or hold derivative financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes.

Altria’s investment in ABI, whose functional currency is the Euro, exposes Altria to foreign currency exchange risk on the carrying value of its investment. To manage this risk, Altria designates certain foreign exchange contracts, including cross-currency swap contracts and forward contracts (collectively, “foreign currency contracts”), and Euro denominated unsecured long-term notes (“foreign currency denominated debt”) as net investment hedges of Altria’s investment in ABI.

The following table provides (i) the aggregate notional amounts of foreign currency contracts and (ii) the aggregate carrying value and fair value of foreign currency denominated debt:


(in millions)	December 31, 2020		December 31, 2019
Foreign currency contracts (notional amounts)	$	1,066	$	2,246
Foreign currency denominated debt
Carrying value	5,171		4,741
Fair value	5,687		5,057

Altria’s estimates of the fair values of its foreign currency contracts are determined using valuation models with significant inputs that are readily available in public markets, or can be derived from observable market transactions, and therefore are classified in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. An adjustment for credit risk and nonperformance risk is included in the fair values of foreign currency contracts.

Altria’s estimate of the fair value of its total long-term debt is based on observable market information derived from a third-party pricing source and is classified in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

The Fixed-price Preemptive Rights and Cronos warrant, which are further discussed in Note 6. Investments in Equity Securities, are derivative financial instruments, which are required to be recorded at fair value. The fair values of the Fixed-price Preemptive Rights and Cronos warrant are estimated using Black-Scholes option-pricing models, adjusted for observable inputs (which are classified in Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy), including share price, and unobservable inputs, including probability factors and weighting of expected life, volatility levels and risk-free interest rates (which are classified in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy) based on the following assumptions at:

December 31, 2020

December 31, 2019

December 31, 2020

December 31, 2019

Fixed-price Preemptive Rights

Cronos Warrant

Share price (1)

C$8.84

C$9.97

C$8.84

C$9.97

Expected life (2)

1.05 years

1.67 years

2.18 years

3.18 years

Expected volatility (3)

80.68%

81.61%

80.68%

81.61%

Risk-free interest rate (4)(5)

0.13%

1.71%

0.21%

1.69%

Expected dividend yield (6)

—%

(2) Based on the weighted-average expected life of the Fixed-price Preemptive Rights (with a range from approximately 0.25 year to 5 years at December 31, 2020 and 0.25 year to 6 years at December 31, 2019) and the March 8, 2023 expiration date of the Cronos warrant.

(4) Based on the implied yield currently available on Canadian Treasury zero coupon issues (with a range from approximately 0.06% to 0.39% at December 31, 2020 and 1.66% to 1.74% at December 31, 2019) weighted for the remaining expected life of the Fixed-price Preemptive Rights.

The following table provides a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balance of the Fixed-price Preemptive Rights and Cronos warrant, which are classified in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy:


(in millions)	2020		2019
Balance at January 1	$	303	$	—
Initial investment in Fixed-price Preemptive Rights and warrant	—		1,736
Exercise of Fixed-price Preemptive Rights	—		(22)
Pre-tax earnings (losses) recognized in net earnings	(140)		(1,411)
Balance at December 31	$	163	$	303

Altria elects to record the gross assets and liabilities of derivative financial instruments executed with the same counterparty on its consolidated balance sheets. The fair values of Altria’s derivative financial instruments on a gross basis included on the consolidated balance sheets were as follows:


	Fair Value of Assets					Fair Value of Liabilities
(in millions)	Balance Sheet Classification	December 31, 2020		December 31, 2019		Balance Sheet Classification	December 31, 2020		December 31, 2019
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
Foreign currency contracts	Other current assets	$	—	$	46	Other accrued liabilities	$	87	$	7
Foreign currency contracts	Other assets	—		—		Other liabilities	—		21

Total		$	—	$	46		$	87	$	28

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
Cronos warrant	Investments in equity securities	$	139	$	234
Fixed-price Preemptive Rights	Investments in equity securities	24		69
Total		$	163	$	303

Total derivatives		$	163	$	349		$	87	$	28

Altria records in its consolidated statements of earnings (losses) any changes in the fair values of the Fixed-price Preemptive Rights and Cronos warrant as gains or losses on Cronos-related financial instruments in the periods in which the changes occur. For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, Altria recognized pre-tax unrealized (losses) representing the changes in the fair values of the Fixed-price Preemptive Rights and Cronos warrant, as follows:

Additionally, in January and February 2019, Altria entered into derivative financial instruments in the form of forward contracts, which were settled in March 2019, to hedge Altria’s exposure to CAD to USD foreign currency exchange rate movements, in relation to the CAD $2.4 billion purchase price for the Investment in Cronos. The aggregate notional amounts of the forward contracts were USD $1.8 billion (CAD $2.4 billion). The forward contracts did not qualify for hedge accounting; therefore, in the first quarter of 2019, pre-tax losses of USD $31 million representing changes in the fair values of the forward contracts were recorded in loss on Cronos-related financial instruments in Altria’s consolidated statement of earnings (losses).

Counterparties to Altria’s foreign currency contracts are domestic and international financial institutions. Altria is exposed to potential losses due to non-performance by these counterparties. Altria manages its credit risk by entering into transactions with counterparties with investment grade credit ratings, limiting the amount of exposure Altria has with each counterparty and monitoring the financial condition of each counterparty. The counterparty agreements contain provisions that require Altria to maintain an investment grade credit rating. In the event Altria’s credit rating falls below investment grade, counterparties to Altria’s foreign currency contracts can require Altria to post collateral. No collateral was received or posted related to derivative assets and liabilities at December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019.

▪Net Investment Hedging: The pre-tax effects of Altria’s net investment hedges on accumulated other comprehensive losses and the consolidated statements of earnings (losses) were as follows:


	Gain (Loss) Recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Losses				Gain (Loss) Recognized in Net Earnings (Losses)(1)
	For the Years Ended December 31,
(in millions)	2020		2019		2020		2019
Foreign currency contracts	$	(79)	$	23	$	40	$	36
Foreign currency denominated debt	(424)		35		—		—
Total	$	(503)	$	58	$	40	$	36

The changes in the fair value of the foreign currency contracts and in the carrying value of the foreign currency denominated debt due to changes in the Euro to USD exchange rate were recognized in accumulated other comprehensive losses related to ABI. Gains on the foreign currency contracts arising from components excluded from effectiveness testing were recognized in interest and other debt expense, net in the consolidated statements of earnings (losses) based on an amortization approach.