Marlboro manufacturers altria group said on Thursday that its second-quarter profit rose 3%, higher prices and lower costs to offset the drop in cigarette sales from a long-term legal settlement.
The nation's largest cigarette maker Philip morris USA the owners of the company, also raised its full-year earnings guidance low-end.
Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, company revenues of $1.27 billion, or 63 cents a share, for the April to June period, from $122 million, or 60 cents per share, a year ago.
Excluding one-time items, earnings for 62 cents a share, a penny without Wall Street's expectations.
Income, not including tax, decreased by 2.5%, to $4.5 billion. FactSet survey of analysts' expectations of $4.62 billion.
Compared with a year ago, cigarette sales fell by almost 7%, to 3.38 billion cigarettes. Marlboro roll down more than 7%, fell nearly 11%, volume of its other premium brands, discount coupons, L&M cigarettes brands, such as increased by nearly 4%,
The us retail market share up 0.3% to 0.3%. Marlboro's market share in the us market was flat, at 43.7%.
Premium marlboro brand has been under pressure from competitors and relatively low price of the cigarette brand, consumers are facing economic pressure, and high unemployment.
These economic challenges, in addition to tax, ban smoking, health concerns and the social stigma, makes cigarettes business hard.
Marlboro brand, the company has launched several new products, often at a relatively low sales price. They include special mixed mint and the menthol cigarettes to keep the brand growth, in order to appeal to smokers from its competitors. It says it has a pipeline of innovative products, to supplement the marlboro brand in the future.
Altria group and other focusing on cigarette alternatives - such as electronic cigarettes, cigars, snuff and chewing tobacco - for future sales growth is expected to continue to fall, because in the smoke.
Altria's smokeless tobacco brands, such as Copenhagen and cheers volume rose more than 4%, from a year ago. The smokeless tobacco brand in the quarter, the company has 55% market share, although compared to smokeless tobacco and cigarettes, is a small market.
Altria said inventory changes and retail share dropped 8% in the quarter, driven roll of black and mild cigars.
Altria group also has a wine business, the brewer SABMiller's stakes in voting, and has a financial services sector.
On Thursday, the company also raised its full-year adjusted earnings of low-end penny a range of $2.36, $2.41.
In the latest quarter, altria said, as previously announced a $300 million share repurchase plan, is expected to be completed by the end of 2013, the total cost of about $1.35 million repurchase 3.7 million shares.



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