Altria Group Stock Climbs 1.08% Despite 23.82% Volume Drop, Ranked 251st in U.S. Turnover

. 17, , . . equities by daily turnover, reflecting mixed market participation despite the positive price movement.

Recent developments indicate regulatory scrutiny remains a key factor shaping investor sentiment. The U.S. Department of Justice's ongoing antitrust review of Altria's market dominance in nicotine delivery systems has prompted cautious trading behavior. While no immediate enforcement actions were announced, analysts noted the prolonged investigation could influence future capital allocation decisions. Additionally, the company's recent partnership with a European e-cigarette manufacturer to explore nicotine-free alternatives has drawn attention, though commercialization timelines remain unconfirmed.

To run this back-test rigorously I need to pin down a few practical details: Universe definition – which market should we screen for the “top-500 by daily trading volume” – all U.S. listed common stocks, or a different universe (e.g., only S&P 500 constituents, only NASDAQ, etc.)? Trade-execution convention – do we buy the selected stocks at that day’s close and exit at the next day’s close? (This is the standard approach, but please tell me if you prefer using the next day’s open for entries or exits.) Transaction costs / slippage – should we include any assumed commission or price slippage, or treat trades as friction-less? Once I have these three items confirmed I can construct the ranking engine, generate the daily portfolios from 2022-01-01 onward, and run the back-test.