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Background and Basis of Presentation | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] |
Background and Basis of Presentation | Background and Basis of Presentation: Background At March 31, 2016, 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 LLC, which provides various support services in areas, 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 March 31, 2016, 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 March 31, 2016, 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. In November 2015, Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (“AB InBev”) announced its firm offer to effect a business combination with SABMiller in a cash and stock transaction. For further discussion, see Note 4. Investment in SABMiller. Share Repurchases In July 2014, Altria Group, Inc.’s Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors”) authorized a $1.0 billion share repurchase program (the “July 2014 share repurchase program”). During the third quarter of 2015, Altria Group, Inc. completed the July 2014 share repurchase program, under which Altria Group, Inc. repurchased a total of 20.4 million shares of its common stock at an average price of $48.90 per share. In July 2015, the Board of Directors authorized a $1.0 billion share repurchase program (the “July 2015 share repurchase program”). At March 31, 2016, Altria Group, Inc. had approximately $797 million remaining in the July 2015 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. Altria Group, Inc.’s share repurchase activity was as follows:
|  | For the Three Months Ended March 31,
|  | 2016 |  | 2015
|  | (in millions, except per share data)
Total number of shares repurchased |  | 2.8 |  |  | 3.6 |
Aggregate cost of shares repurchased |  | $ | 168 |  |  | $ | 192 |
Average price per share of shares repurchased |  | $ | 59.81 |  |  | $ | 53.03 |
Basis of Presentation The interim condensed consolidated financial statements of Altria Group, Inc. are unaudited. It is the opinion of Altria Group, Inc.’s management that all adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the interim results presented have been reflected in the interim condensed consolidated financial statements. All such adjustments were of a normal recurring nature. Net revenues and net earnings for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year. These statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes, which appear in Altria Group, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 (the “2015 Form 10-K”). On January 1, 2016, Altria Group, Inc. adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-03, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs (“ASU No. 2015-03”), which requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented on the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts, rather than as a deferred charge (an asset). As a result of the adoption, $70 million of debt issuance costs have been presented on Altria Group, Inc.’s condensed consolidated balance sheet at March 31, 2016 as a deduction from the carrying amount of long-term debt. In addition, $72 million of debt issuance costs were reclassified from other assets to long-term debt on Altria Group, Inc.’s condensed consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2015. For a description of recently issued accounting guidance that Altria Group, Inc. has not yet adopted, see Note 12. Recent Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted.

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