Why Tobacco Stocks Got Smoked in H1 2018

Investors shunned the stocks of tobacco companies in the first half of 2018 following the decline in shipment volumes. A deceleration in sales of reduced-risk products further irked investors since these products are meant to accelerate the sales growth rate amid a decline in the smoking rate around the world. The stocks of Philip Morris International (PM) and Altria (MO) fell 23.6% and 20.5%, respectively, in the first six months of 2018 (see graph below) and underperformed the benchmark index (SPY), which increased 1.7% during the comparable period.