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Background and Basis of Presentation | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] |
Background and Basis of Presentation | Background and Basis of Presentation Background: At December 31, 2014, Altria Group, Inc.’s wholly-owned subsidiaries included Philip Morris USA Inc. (“PM USA”), which is engaged predominantly in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes in the United States; John Middleton Co. (“Middleton”), which is engaged in the manufacture and sale of machine-made large cigars and pipe tobacco, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PM USA; and UST LLC (“UST”), which through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company LLC (“USSTC”) and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Ltd. (“Ste. Michelle”), is engaged in the manufacture and sale of smokeless tobacco products and wine. Altria Group, Inc.’s other operating companies included Nu Mark LLC (“Nu Mark”), a wholly-owned subsidiary that is engaged in the manufacture and sale of innovative tobacco products, and Philip Morris Capital Corporation (“PMCC”), a wholly-owned subsidiary that maintains a portfolio of finance assets, substantially all of which are leveraged leases. Other Altria Group, Inc. wholly-owned subsidiaries included Altria Group Distribution Company, which provides sales, distribution and consumer engagement services to certain Altria Group, Inc. operating subsidiaries, and Altria Client Services Inc., which provides various support services, such as legal, regulatory, finance, human resources and external affairs, to Altria Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Altria Group, Inc.’s access to the operating cash flows of its wholly-owned subsidiaries consists of cash received from the payment of dividends and distributions, and the payment of interest on intercompany loans by its subsidiaries. At December 31, 2014, Altria Group, Inc.’s principal wholly-owned subsidiaries were not limited by long-term debt or other agreements in their ability to pay cash dividends or make other distributions with respect to their equity interests. At December 31, 2014, Altria Group, Inc. also held approximately 27% of the economic and voting interest of SABMiller plc (“SABMiller”), which Altria Group, Inc. accounts for under the equity method of accounting. Altria Group, Inc. receives cash dividends on its interest in SABMiller if and when SABMiller pays such dividends.
▪ | Dividends and Share Repurchases: During the third quarter of 2014, Altria Group, Inc.’s Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors”) approved an 8.3% increase in the quarterly dividend rate to $0.52 per common share versus the previous rate of $0.48 per common share. The current annualized dividend rate is $2.08 per Altria Group, Inc. common share. Future dividend payments remain subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors.
In October 2011, the Board of Directors authorized a $1.0 billion share repurchase program and expanded it to $1.5 billion in October 2012 (as expanded, the “October 2011 share repurchase program”). During the first quarter of 2013, Altria Group, Inc. completed the October 2011 share repurchase program, under which Altria Group, Inc. repurchased a total of 48.3 million shares of its common stock at an average price of $31.06 per share. In April 2013, the Board of Directors authorized a $300 million share repurchase program and expanded it to $1.0 billion in August 2013 (as expanded, the “April 2013 share repurchase program”). During the third quarter of 2014, Altria Group, Inc. completed the April 2013 share repurchase program, under which Altria Group, Inc. repurchased a total of 27.1 million shares of its common stock at an average price of $36.97 per share. In July 2014, the Board of Directors authorized a $1.0 billion share repurchase program (the “July 2014 share repurchase program”). During 2014, Altria Group, Inc. repurchased 10.4 million shares of its common stock (at an aggregate cost of approximately $482 million, and at an average price of $46.41 per share) under the July 2014 share repurchase program. At December 31, 2014, Altria Group, Inc. had approximately $518 million remaining in the July 2014 share repurchase program. The timing of share repurchases under this program depends upon marketplace conditions and other factors, and the program remains subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors. For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, Altria Group, Inc.’s total share repurchase activity was as follows:
|  | 2014 |  | 2013 |  | 2012 |
|  | (in millions, except per share data)
Total number of shares repurchased | 22.5 |  | 16.7 |  | 34.9 |
Aggregate cost of shares repurchased | $ | 939 |  | $ | 600 |  | $ | 1,116 |
Average price per share of shares repurchased | $ | 41.79 |  | $ | 36.05 |  | $ | 32.00 |
▪Basis of Presentation: The consolidated financial statements include Altria Group, Inc., as well as its wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries. Investments in which Altria Group, Inc. exercises significant influence are accounted for under the equity method of accounting. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent liabilities at the dates of the financial statements and the reported amounts of net revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Significant estimates and assumptions include, among other things, pension and benefit plan assumptions, lives and valuation assumptions for goodwill and other intangible assets, marketing programs, income taxes, and the allowance for losses and estimated residual values of finance leases. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

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