Philip Morris Stock Surges on Smoke-Free Growth and Institutional Buying Despite 48% Volume Slump

, 2025, , . The company’s performance was driven by strong growth in its smoke-free product portfolio, particularly Zyn nicotine pouches and IQOS heated tobacco devices. , supported by higher combustible tobacco pricing and expanded smoke-free product adoption. Institutional investors, including Aprio Wealth Management and , , signaling confidence in its long-term strategy.

Analysts highlighted Philip Morris’ strategic shift toward smoke-free alternatives, . , though challenges remain, including currency volatility and regulatory pressures on tobacco markets. , while and maintained “buy” ratings, citing the company’s pricing power and margin expansion potential.

Recent institutional buying activity underscores PM’s appeal as a defensive play in uncertain markets. , . , , which raises concerns about sustainability amid potential earnings volatility.

To run this study rigorously I need to pin down a few practical details (and be sure they fit within the capabilities of our back-testing engine): 1. Universe • Should we consider all U.S. exchange-listed common stocks, or a specific index / exchange? 2. Signal formation • Do we rank stocks by the previous day’s total share volume, then open positions the next morning? (This is the most common convention.) 3. Execution prices • Buy at next day’s open and exit at that day’s close (1-day holding period), or use close-to-close? 4. Transaction costs / slippage • Assume zero, or apply a fixed bps cost? 5. Tool limitation notice • Our current engine evaluates one-ticker strategies. Building a 500-stock basket each day requires a portfolio back-tester that’s not yet wired into this interface. • Two possible work-arounds: a) Run the analysis offline and report summary stats only, or b) Approximate the “high-volume basket” with a representative ETF/index (e.g., SPY) if that meets your goal.