ACI vs. MO: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on July 8, 2025

Here’s a clear look at ACI and MO, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Overview

MO’s market capitalization of 100.48 billion USD is significantly greater than ACI’s 12.63 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.

MO carries a higher beta at 0.64, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while ACI (beta: 0.31) exhibits greater stability.

Symbol	ACI	MO
Company Name	Albertsons Companies, Inc.	Altria Group, Inc.
Country	US	US
Sector	Consumer Defensive	Consumer Defensive
Industry	Grocery Stores	Tobacco
CEO	Susan D. Morris	William F. Gifford Jr.
Price	21.93 USD	59.65 USD
Market Cap	12.63 billion USD	100.48 billion USD
Beta	0.31	0.64
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
IPO Date	June 26, 2020	July 1, 1985
ADR	No	No

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of ACI and MO by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

ACI vs. MO: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Profitability

Return on Equity

ACI

30.23%

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 41.83%
Q3: 33.21%
Median: 17.57%
Q1: 4.85%
Min: -1.90%

ACI’s Return on Equity of 30.23% is on par with the norm for the Grocery Stores industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

MO

-333.94%

Tobacco Industry

Max: 22.42%
Q3: 6.25%
Median: 4.04%
Q1: -111.21%
Min: -150.20%

MO has a negative Return on Equity of -333.94%. This indicates the company is generating a loss for its shareholders, which can be a result of unprofitability or negative shareholder equity and is often a sign of financial distress.

ACI vs. MO: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Grocery Stores and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Return on Invested Capital

ACI

6.91%

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 9.72%
Q3: 6.86%
Median: 5.47%
Q1: 3.42%
Min: 1.05%

In the upper quartile for the Grocery Stores industry, ACI’s Return on Invested Capital of 6.91% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.

MO

30.25%

Tobacco Industry

Max: 30.25%
Q3: 17.79%
Median: 6.37%
Q1: 1.66%
Min: 0.12%

In the upper quartile for the Tobacco industry, MO’s Return on Invested Capital of 30.25% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.

ACI vs. MO: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Grocery Stores and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin

ACI

1.19%

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 5.53%
Q3: 3.00%
Median: 1.73%
Q1: 1.16%
Min: -1.36%

ACI’s Net Profit Margin of 1.19% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Grocery Stores industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

MO

50.44%

Tobacco Industry

Max: 23.93%
Q3: 21.88%
Median: 11.78%
Q1: 6.14%
Min: 3.22%

MO’s Net Profit Margin of 50.44% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Tobacco industry. This demonstrates outstanding operational efficiency and a strong competitive advantage in converting revenue into profit.

ACI vs. MO: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Grocery Stores and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin

ACI

2.05%

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 4.30%
Q3: 3.63%
Median: 2.32%
Q1: 1.32%
Min: 0.87%

ACI’s Operating Profit Margin of 2.05% is around the midpoint for the Grocery Stores industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

MO

51.15%

Tobacco Industry

Max: 51.15%
Q3: 27.45%
Median: 14.55%
Q1: 4.39%
Min: 0.82%

An Operating Profit Margin of 51.15% places MO in the upper quartile for the Tobacco industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

ACI vs. MO: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Grocery Stores and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	ACI	MO
Return on Equity (TTM)	30.23%	-333.94%
Return on Assets (TTM)	3.58%	28.56%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)	6.91%	30.25%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	1.19%	50.44%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	2.05%	51.15%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	27.06%	70.81%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio

ACI

0.90

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 1.25
Q3: 1.20
Median: 1.00
Q1: 0.95
Min: 0.90

ACI’s Current Ratio of 0.90 falls into the lower quartile for the Grocery Stores industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

MO

0.57

Tobacco Industry

Max: 4.42
Q3: 3.65
Median: 2.25
Q1: 0.78
Min: 0.57

MO’s Current Ratio of 0.57 falls into the lower quartile for the Tobacco industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

ACI vs. MO: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Grocery Stores and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

ACI

4.19

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 4.19
Q3: 2.56
Median: 1.41
Q1: 0.87
Min: 0.12

ACI’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Grocery Stores industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 4.19. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.

MO

-7.42

Tobacco Industry

Max: 1.48
Q3: 0.76
Median: 0.74
Q1: 0.03
Min: 0.01

MO has a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of -7.42, which indicates negative shareholder equity where liabilities exceed assets. This is a critical sign of financial distress.

ACI vs. MO: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Grocery Stores and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio

ACI

3.59

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 24.50
Q3: 16.36
Median: 5.08
Q1: 3.73
Min: -0.63

In the lower quartile for the Grocery Stores industry, ACI’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 3.59 indicates a tighter cushion for servicing debt, suggesting less financial flexibility than many of its competitors.

MO

9.15

Tobacco Industry

Max: 9.53
Q3: 8.30
Median: 4.34
Q1: 2.04
Min: -2.25

MO’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 9.15 is in the upper quartile for the Tobacco industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.

ACI vs. MO: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Grocery Stores and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	ACI	MO
Current Ratio (TTM)	0.90	0.57
Quick Ratio (TTM)	0.22	0.47
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)	4.19	-7.42
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)	0.53	0.73
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)	3.97	1.52
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	3.59	9.15

Growth

The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ACI and MO. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.

Revenue Growth

ACI vs. MO: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

ACI vs. MO: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth.

Free Cash Flow Growth

ACI vs. MO: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Free Cash Flow Growth.

Dividend

Dividend Yield

ACI

2.46%

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 5.28%
Q3: 2.38%
Median: 1.48%
Q1: 0.26%
Min: 0.00%

With a Dividend Yield of 2.46%, ACI offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Grocery Stores industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

MO

6.84%

Tobacco Industry

Max: 6.94%
Q3: 6.23%
Median: 2.98%
Q1: 0.37%
Min: 0.00%

With a Dividend Yield of 6.84%, MO offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Tobacco industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

ACI vs. MO: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Grocery Stores and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio

ACI

30.78%

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 4,966.68%
Q3: 30.78%
Median: 24.38%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ACI’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 30.78% is within the typical range for the Grocery Stores industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

MO

67.00%

Tobacco Industry

Max: 171.09%
Q3: 98.77%
Median: 67.00%
Q1: 13.01%
Min: 0.00%

MO’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 67.00% is within the typical range for the Tobacco industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

ACI vs. MO: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Grocery Stores and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	ACI	MO
Dividend Yield (TTM)	2.46%	6.84%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	30.78%	67.00%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio

ACI

13.26

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 35.78
Q3: 21.80
Median: 18.09
Q1: 11.47
Min: 8.82

ACI’s P/E Ratio of 13.26 is within the middle range for the Grocery Stores industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

MO

9.87

Tobacco Industry

Max: 37.02
Q3: 31.70
Median: 27.58
Q1: 17.76
Min: 9.72

In the lower quartile for the Tobacco industry, MO’s P/E Ratio of 9.87 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.

ACI vs. MO: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Grocery Stores and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Forward P/E to Growth Ratio

ACI

17.35

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 4.43
Q3: 3.62
Median: 2.13
Q1: 0.83
Min: 0.05

ACI’s Forward PEG Ratio of 17.35 is exceptionally high for the Grocery Stores industry. This suggests its stock price is very high relative to its expected earnings growth, signaling significant overvaluation risk.

MO

3.23

Tobacco Industry

Max: 6.56
Q3: 4.77
Median: 3.75
Q1: 3.29
Min: 3.17

The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Tobacco industry.

ACI vs. MO: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Grocery Stores and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio

ACI

0.16

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 0.69
Q3: 0.45
Median: 0.28
Q1: 0.22
Min: 0.14

In the lower quartile for the Grocery Stores industry, ACI’s P/S Ratio of 0.16 indicates its revenue is valued more conservatively than most of its peers. This could present a compelling opportunity if the market has overlooked its sales-generating capabilities.

MO

4.96

Tobacco Industry

Max: 7.35
Q3: 7.29
Median: 4.89
Q1: 2.91
Min: 0.49

MO’s P/S Ratio of 4.96 aligns with the market consensus for the Tobacco industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

ACI vs. MO: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Grocery Stores and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio

ACI

3.75

Grocery Stores Industry

Max: 5.54
Q3: 4.47
Median: 2.48
Q1: 1.04
Min: 0.41

ACI’s P/B Ratio of 3.75 is within the conventional range for the Grocery Stores industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

MO

-28.72

Tobacco Industry

Max: 1.61
Q3: 1.61
Median: 1.52
Q1: 1.20
Min: 1.00

The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Tobacco industry.

ACI vs. MO: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Grocery Stores and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	ACI	MO
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)	13.26	9.87
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)	17.35	3.23
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)	0.16	4.96
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)	3.75	-28.72
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)	16.85	11.89
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)	7.58	8.68
EV-to-Sales (TTM)	0.33	6.02