Without adjustment for shifts in trade inventory, the decline was 5 per cent to 32.1 billion sticks. Marlboro volume fell 4.9 per cent to 27.7 billion sticks, although the premium brand raised its market share 0.3 percentage points to 44 per cent.
Smokeable product sales gained 0.8 per cent to USD 4 billion (EUR 3 billion) and adjusted operating companies income (OCI) rose 3.6 per cent to USD 1.8 billlion. PM USA was more profitable in the second quarter with adjusted OCI as a percentage of sales rose 1.2 percentage points to 44.2 per cent, the company said.
National distribution of MarkTen e-cigarettes begun in the second quarter reached 60,000 stores in the western half of the US, Altria said.