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Investments in Equity Securities | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2021
Investments [Abstract] |
Investments in Equity Securities | Investments in Equity Securities The carrying amount of Altria’s investments consisted of the following:
(in millions) |  | September 30, 2021 |  | December 31, 2020
ABI |  | $ | 11,237 |  |  | $ | 16,651 |
JUUL |  | 1,705 |  |  | 1,705 |
Cronos (1) |  | 932 |  |  | 1,173 |
Total |  | $ | 13,874 |  |  | $ | 19,529 |
(1) Atria’s investment in Cronos at September 30, 2021 consisted of Altria’s equity method investment in Cronos ($897 million), the Cronos warrant ($32 million) and the Fixed-price Preemptive Rights ($3 million), (collectively, “Investment in Cronos”). The Investment in Cronos at December 31, 2020 consisted of Altria’s equity method investment in Cronos ($1,010 million), the Cronos warrant ($139 million) and the Fixed-price Preemptive Rights ($24 million). See below for further discussion. Income (losses) from equity investments accounted for under the equity method of accounting and fair value option consisted of the following:
| For the Nine Months Ended September 30, |  | For the Three Months Ended September 30,
(in millions) | 2021 |  | 2020 |  | 2021 |  | 2020
ABI (1) | $ | (5,644) |  |  | $ | (306) |  |  | $ | (6,036) |  |  | $ | (418) |
Cronos | (145) |  |  | — |  |  | 21 |  |  | (54) |
Income (losses) from investments under equity method of accounting | (5,789) |  |  | (306) |  |  | $ | (6,015) |  |  | $ | (472) |
JUUL | — |  |  | — |  |  | 100 |  |  | — |
Income (losses) from equity investments | $ | (5,789) |  |  | $ | (306) |  |  | $ | (5,915) |  |  | $ | (472) |
(1) For the nine and three months ended September 30, 2021, Altria recorded a non-cash, pre-tax impairment charge of $6,157 million related to its equity investment in ABI. See below for further discussion. Investment in ABI At September 30, 2021, Altria had an approximate 10% ownership interest in ABI, consisting of 185 million restricted shares of ABI (the “Restricted Shares”) and 12 million ordinary shares of ABI. The Restricted Shares: ▪are unlisted and not admitted to trading on any stock exchange; ▪are convertible by Altria into ordinary shares of ABI on a one-for-one basis; ▪rank equally with ordinary shares of ABI with regards to dividends and voting rights; and ▪have director nomination rights with respect to ABI. The Restricted Shares were subject to a five-year lock-up period that ended October 10, 2021. As of this filing, Altria has not elected to convert its Restricted Shares into ordinary shares of ABI. Altria accounts for its investment in ABI under the equity method of accounting because Altria has the ability to exercise significant influence over the operating and financial policies of ABI, including having active representation on ABI’s board of directors and certain ABI board committees. Through this representation, Altria participates in ABI policy making processes. Altria reports its share of ABI’s results using a one-quarter lag because ABI’s results are not available in time for Altria to record them in the concurrent period. The fair value of Altria’s equity investment in ABI is based on (i) unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for ABI’s ordinary shares and was classified in Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy and (ii) observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, such as quoted prices for similar assets for the Restricted Shares, and was classified in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. Altria can convert its Restricted Shares to ordinary shares at its discretion. Therefore, the fair value of each Restricted Share is based on the value of an ordinary share. In October 2019, the fair value of Altria’s equity investment in ABI declined below its carrying value and has not recovered. At December 31, 2020, the fair value of Altria’s equity investment in ABI was $13.8 billion (carrying value of $16.7 billion), which was less than its carrying value by approximately 17%. In preparing its financial statements for the period ended December 31, 2020, Altria evaluated the factors related to the fair value decline, including the impact on the fair value of ABI’s shares during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has negatively impacted ABI’s business. Altria evaluated the duration and magnitude of the fair value decline, ABI’s financial condition and near-term prospects and Altria’s intent and ability to hold its investment in ABI until recovery. Altria concluded that the decline in fair value of its investment in ABI at December 31, 2020 below its carrying value was temporary and, therefore, no impairment was recorded at that time. Following the consideration of the same factors, Altria, in preparing its financial statements for the period ended September 30, 2021, concluded that the decline in fair value of its investment in ABI at September 30, 2021 was other than temporary. As a result, Altria recorded a non-cash, pre-tax impairment charge of $6.2 billion for the nine and three months ended September 30, 2021, which was recorded to income (losses) from equity investments in its condensed consolidated statements of earnings (losses). This impairment charge reflects the difference between the fair value of Altria’s investment in ABI using ABI’s share price at September 30, 2021 and the carrying value of Altria’s equity investment in ABI at September 30, 2021. Altria continues to have confidence in ABI’s (i) long-term strategies, (ii) premium global brands, (iii) experienced management team and (iv) capability to successfully navigate its near-term challenges. Altria further expects that the impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic that have negatively impacted ABI’s global business are transitory, but now also anticipates that the full recovery to carrying value will take longer than previously expected. This is evidenced by the resumption of declines in fair value during the third quarter of 2021, following positive share price momentum during the first half of 2021. At September 30, 2021, prior to recording the impairment charge, the fair value of Altria’s investment in ABI was below the carrying value by approximately 35%, which represents an additional 18% reduction in ABI’s share price since December 31, 2020. After recording the impairment charge, the fair value and carrying value of Altria’s equity investment in ABI at September 30, 2021 were $11.2 billion. At September 30, 2021, the carrying value of Altria’s equity investment in ABI exceeded its share of ABI’s net assets attributable to equity holders of ABI by approximately $5.1 billion. Substantially all of this difference is comprised of goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets (consisting primarily of trademarks). Investment in JUUL In December 2018, Altria made an investment in JUUL and received a 35% economic interest in JUUL through non-voting shares, which were convertible at Altria’s election into voting shares (“Share Conversion”), and a security convertible into additional non-voting or voting shares, as applicable, upon settlement or exercise of certain JUUL convertible securities (the “JUUL Transaction”). Altria received a broad preemptive right to purchase JUUL shares, exercisable each quarter upon dilution, to maintain its ownership percentage and is subject to a standstill restriction under which it may not acquire additional JUUL shares above its 35% interest. Furthermore, Altria agreed not to sell or transfer any of its JUUL shares until December 20, 2024. On April 1, 2020, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued an administrative complaint challenging Altria’s investment in JUUL. For further discussion, see Note 12. Contingencies - Antitrust Litigation. In November 2020, Altria exercised its rights to convert its non-voting JUUL shares into voting shares. Altria does not currently intend to exercise its additional governance rights obtained upon Share Conversion, including the right to elect directors to JUUL’s board or to vote its JUUL shares other than as a passive investor, pending the outcome of the FTC administrative complaint. At September 30, 2021, Altria had a 35% ownership interest in JUUL, consisting of 42 million voting shares. Following Share Conversion in the fourth quarter of 2020, Altria elected to account for its equity method investment in JUUL under the fair value option. Under this option, Altria’s condensed consolidated statements of earnings (losses) include any cash dividends received from its investment in JUUL and any changes in the estimated fair value of its investment, which is calculated quarterly. Altria believes the fair value option provides quarterly transparency to investors as to the fair market value of Altria’s investment in JUUL, given the changes and volatility in the e-vapor category since Altria’s initial investment, as well as the lack of publicly available information regarding JUUL’s business or a market-derived valuation. The following table provides a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balance of Altria’s investment in JUUL, which is classified in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy:
|  | Investment
(in millions) |  | Balance
Balance at December 31, 2020 |  | $ | 1,705 |
Unrealized gains (losses) included in income (losses) from equity investments |  | — |
Balance at September 30, 2021 |  | $ | 1,705 |
For the three months ended September 30, 2021, Altria recorded a non-cash, pre-tax unrealized gain of $100 million, as a result of changes in the estimated fair value of its investment in JUUL. At September 30, 2021, the estimated fair value of Altria’s JUUL investment was $1.7 billion, unchanged from its December 31, 2020 estimated fair value. There were no material changes to the significant assumptions used in the valuations, as described below, during the nine and three months ended September 30, 2021. Prior to Share Conversion, Altria accounted for its investment in JUUL as an investment in an equity security. Since the JUUL shares do not have a readily determinable fair value, Altria elected to measure its investment in JUUL at its cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment of the same issuer. There were no upward or downward adjustments to the carrying value of Altria’s investment in JUUL resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions since the JUUL Transaction through the date of Share Conversion. In addition, prior to Share Conversion, Altria reviewed its investment in JUUL for impairment by performing a qualitative assessment of impairment indicators on a quarterly basis in connection with the preparation of its financial statements. If this qualitative assessment indicated that Altria’s investment in JUUL may be impaired, a quantitative assessment was performed. If the quantitative assessment indicated the estimated fair value of the investment was less than its carrying value, the investment was written down to its fair value. In September 2020, JUUL announced a strategic update, which included its plans for a significant global workforce reduction, its evaluation of its resource allocation and the possibility of exiting various international markets. As part of the preparation of Altria’s financial statements for the period ended September 30, 2020, Altria performed a qualitative assessment of impairment indicators for its investment in JUUL and determined that JUUL’s strategic update was an indicator of impairment at September 30, 2020, given the significant deterioration in JUUL’s business prospects. Given the existence of this impairment indicator, Altria performed a quantitative valuation of its investment in JUUL during the third quarter of 2020 and recorded a non-cash, pre-tax charge of $2.6 billion for the nine and three months ended September 30, 2020, reported as impairment of JUUL equity securities in its condensed consolidated statements of earnings (losses). The impairment charge was driven by Altria’s projections of lower JUUL revenues over time due to lower pricing assumptions and delays in JUUL achieving previously forecasted operating margin performance. These drivers were the result of (i) JUUL’s revised international expansion plans and (ii) the evolving U.S. e-vapor category and associated competitive dynamics. Altria uses an income approach to estimate the fair value of its investment in JUUL. The income approach reflects the discounting of future cash flows for the U.S. and international markets at a rate of return that incorporates the risk-free rate for the use of those funds, the expected rate of inflation and the risks associated with realizing future cash flows. Future cash flows were based on a range of scenarios that consider various potential regulatory and market outcomes. In determining the estimated fair value of its investment in JUUL, as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, Altria made various judgments, estimates and assumptions, the most significant of which were sales volume, operating margins, discount rates and perpetual growth rates. All significant inputs used in the valuation are classified in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. Additionally, in determining these significant assumptions, Altria made judgments regarding the (i) likelihood and extent of various potential regulatory actions and the continued adverse public perception impacting the e-vapor category and specifically JUUL, (ii) risk created by the number and types of legal cases pending against JUUL and (iii) expectations for the future state of the e-vapor category, including competitive dynamics. Investment in Cronos At September 30, 2021, Altria had a 41.9% ownership interest in Cronos, consisting of 156.6 million shares, which Altria accounts for under the equity method of accounting. Altria’s ownership percentage decreased from 43.5% at December 31, 2020 due to the issuance of additional shares by Cronos. Altria reports its share of Cronos’s results using a one-quarter lag because Cronos’s results are not available in time for Altria to record them in the concurrent period. As part of its Investment in Cronos, at September 30, 2021, Altria owned: ▪anti-dilution protections to purchase Cronos common shares, exercisable each quarter upon dilution, to maintain its ownership percentage. Certain of the anti-dilution protections provide Altria the ability to purchase additional Cronos common shares at a per share exercise price of Canadian dollar (“CAD”) $16.25 upon the occurrence of specified events (“Fixed-price Preemptive Rights”). Based on Altria’s assumptions as of September 30, 2021, Altria estimates the Fixed-price Preemptive Rights allows Altria to purchase up to an additional approximately 14 million common shares of Cronos; and ▪a warrant providing Altria the ability to purchase an additional approximate 10% of common shares of Cronos (approximately 83 million common shares at September 30, 2021) at a per share exercise price of CAD $19.00, which expires on March 8, 2023. If exercised in full, the exercise prices for the warrant and Fixed-price Preemptive Rights are approximately CAD $1.6 billion and CAD $0.2 billion, respectively (approximately USD $1.3 billion and $0.2 billion, respectively, based on the CAD to USD exchange rate on October 25, 2021). At September 30, 2021, upon full exercise of the Fixed-price Preemptive Rights, to the extent such rights become available, and the warrant, Altria would own approximately 53% of the outstanding common shares of Cronos. For a discussion of derivatives related to the Investment in Cronos, including Altria’s accounting for changes in the fair value of these derivatives, see Note 5. Financial Instruments. The fair value of Altria’s equity method investment in Cronos is based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for Cronos’s common shares and was classified in Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. In September 2021, the fair value of Altria’s equity method investment in Cronos declined below its carrying value. At September 30, 2021, the fair value of Altria’s equity method investment in Cronos was less than its carrying value by $14 million or approximately 2%. The fair value of Altria’s equity method investment in Cronos exceeded its carrying value by $77 million or approximately 8% at December 31, 2020. Based on Altria’s evaluation of the duration and magnitude of the fair value decline at September 30, 2021, Altria concluded that the decline in fair value of its equity method investment in Cronos below its carrying value is temporary and, therefore, no impairment was recorded.

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