MO vs LOW Comparison

Altria comprises Philip Morris USA, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco, John Middleton, Horizon Innovations, and Helix Innovations. Through its tobacco subsidiaries, Altria maintains the leading position in cigarettes and smokeless tobacco in the United States and the number-two spot in machine-made cigars. The company's Marlboro brand is the leading cigarette brand in the US with 40% share in 2024. Beyond its core business, it holds an 8% interest in the world's largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev, and a 41% stake in cannabis manufacturer Cronos. In reduced-risk products, it acquired vaping company Njoy Holdings in 2023, operates a joint venture with Japan Tobacco in the heated tobacco category for the US, and sells the On brand in nicotine pouches.

Lowe's is the second-largest home improvement retailer globally, with 1,759 stores in the US, after the 2023 divestiture of its Canadian locations. The firm's stores offer products and services for home decorating, maintenance, repair, and remodeling, with maintenance and repair accounting for two-thirds of products sold. Lowe's primarily targets retail do-it-yourself (around 70% of sales) and do-it-for-me customers, but has expanded its professional business clients to 30% from less than 20% in the past seven years (set to expand further with the acquisition of FBM). We estimate Lowe's captures a high-single-digit share of the domestic home improvement market, based on US Census data and management's market size estimates.