Volume: Tobacco Giant and Altria

volume: Altria MO, 2.68% saw cigarette volume drop more than 14% to start the year, marking the company's largest decline in at least three years, according to Market Watch. Even after adjusting for factors like trade inventory movements, volume still dropped 7% for the worst adjusted decline in a year. The tobacco giant's shipment volume has been falling for some time, but the latest numbers show a business decaying faster than investors once thought. In all, the shipment numbers were much worse than feared, wrote Wells Fargo's Bonnie Herzog. While cigarette makers generally have strong pricing power, it remains to be seen just how often companies like Altria can get away with pulling this lever to mask demand issues. Read Altria confirms 12.8 billion investment for 35% stake in e-cigarette startup Juul Altria has been jacking up cigarette prices to compensate for these declines, instituting a record hike in February, according to Herzog. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.