WTJ

Altria: Talk About Profit Margin!

Bought some yesterday to take advantage of the spin, but a worrisome thought interferes with the joy of my winsome purchase.
It's assumed that the spin-off will indemnify PMI from the increasingly successful tobacco injury torts here in the U.S.

However, litigation in European courts have emerged
and I worry that our neighbors across the seas will find fashion in blaming their self-imposed respiratory damage on vendors like PMI.

The big one for Altria, here, in the US, was lost in Oregon.
It's being kicked around the courts ONLY to determine the exact punitive damage amount.
The last appeal court returned the case suggesting that the punitive damages accessed may be excessive
and also suggested ,
NOT ORDERED however,
that 9 times actual damages might be more reasonable.

If you consider the million dollar-plus medical bill that's possible for treatment of lung cancer
and the number of folks that were told that
Marlboro lights were safer when the tobacco execs knew better,
9 times damages can destroy this cash cow before it can be milked.