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BF.A vs. PM: Brown-Forman vs. Philip Morris Stock Comparison

How do Brown-Forman (BF.A) and Philip Morris (PM) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Brown-Forman (BF.A) and Philip Morris (PM) both fall under the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group, but BF.A is classified in Beverages while PM is classified in Tobacco.

Company profile comparison for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and Philip Morris (PM)
Profile ItemBF.APM
NameBrown-Forman Corporation Class A Common StockPhilip Morris International Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorConsumer StaplesConsumer Staples
GICS Industry GroupFood, Beverage & TobaccoFood, Beverage & Tobacco
GICS IndustryBeveragesTobacco
GICS Sub-IndustryDistillers & VintnersTobacco
Market Capitalization14.44 billion USD308.42 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateMay 3, 1973March 17, 2008
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

BF.A
PM
GSPC
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Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. Philip Morris (PM), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and Philip Morris (PM). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and Philip Morris (PM). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and Philip Morris (PM)
MetricBF.APM
Total Return (1Y)21.31%30.82%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)-17.39%34.64%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)-12.15%21.10%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

BF.A
PM
GSPC
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Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. Philip Morris (PM), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and Philip Morris (PM). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and Philip Morris (PM)
MetricBF.APM
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)38.10%28.46%
Beta (5Y)0.260.35
Max Drawdown (5Y)-67.09%-22.78%
Avg. Volume (3M)138.95K4.48M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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BF.A and PM are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and Philip Morris (PM)
MetricBF.APM
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.450.93
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.681.39

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Brown-Forman (BF.A) earns 18.12% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; Philip Morris (PM) has no ROE this period.

BF.A

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

18.12%

Max
32.02%
BF.A
18.12%
Q3
16.61%
Median
10.05%
Q1
4.10%
Min
-10.50%

PM

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

--

Max
32.02%
Q3
16.61%
Median
10.05%
Q1
4.10%
Min
-10.50%
PM
--
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Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. Philip Morris (PM): PM does not report ROE, so it has no value marker; BF.A is benchmarked against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group.

Net Margin (TTM)

For every dollar of sales, both Brown-Forman (BF.A) at 18.42% and Philip Morris (PM) at 24.83% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.

BF.A

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

18.42%

Max
24.83%
BF.A
18.42%
Q3
11.22%
Median
5.94%
Q1
2.05%
Min
-11.49%

PM

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

24.83%

PM
24.83%
Max
24.83%
Q3
11.22%
Median
5.94%
Q1
2.05%
Min
-11.49%
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Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. Philip Morris (PM): A comparison of their net margin against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Philip Morris (PM) at 41.94% shows unusually strong operating efficiency — above its industry’s operating margin range — and Brown-Forman (BF.A) at 27.55% also operates in the top quartile.

BF.A

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

27.55%

Max
34.91%
BF.A
27.55%
Q3
17.57%
Median
11.06%
Q1
4.15%
Min
-15.06%

PM

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

41.94%

PM
41.94%
Max
34.91%
Q3
17.57%
Median
11.06%
Q1
4.15%
Min
-15.06%
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Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. Philip Morris (PM): A comparison of their operating margin against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and Philip Morris (PM)
MetricBF.APM
ROE (TTM)18.12%--
ROA (TTM)8.63%16.88%
Net Margin (TTM)18.42%24.83%
Operating Margin (TTM)27.55%41.94%
Gross Margin (TTM)60.66%67.70%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Brown-Forman (BF.A) at -1.18% and Philip Morris (PM) at 7.31% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. Philip Morris (PM): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Philip Morris (PM) at 60.26% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Brown-Forman (BF.A) at -16.85% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for PM.

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Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. Philip Morris (PM): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and Philip Morris (PM)
MetricBF.APM
Revenue Growth (YoY)-1.18%7.31%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)-2.42%8.57%
EPS Growth (YoY)-16.85%60.26%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)-2.09%7.71%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Philip Morris (PM) at 1.02 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Brown-Forman (BF.A) at 3.26 sits above its industry’s typical mid-range — comfortable liquidity, though possibly with more idle current assets relative to peers.

BF.A

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

3.26

Max
4.01
BF.A
3.26
Q3
2.35
Median
1.53
Q1
1.02
Min
0.33

PM

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

1.02

Max
4.01
Q3
2.35
Median
1.53
PM
1.02
Q1
1.02
Min
0.33
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Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. Philip Morris (PM): A comparison of their current ratio against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Only one side’s leverage can be read here: Brown-Forman (BF.A) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62 against its industry range, while Philip Morris (PM) reports no figure this period.

BF.A

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

0.62

Max
2.19
Q3
1.11
Median
0.68
BF.A
0.62
Q1
0.33
Min
0.00

PM

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

--

Max
2.19
Q3
1.11
Median
0.68
Q1
0.33
Min
0.00
PM
--
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Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. Philip Morris (PM): PM does not report debt-to-equity ratio, so it has no value marker; BF.A is benchmarked against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and Philip Morris (PM)
MetricBF.APM
Current Ratio (MRQ)3.261.02
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.62--
Net Debt / EBITDA1.802.04

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Brown-Forman (BF.A) at 2.89% and Philip Morris (PM) at 2.98% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.

BF.A

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

2.89%

Max
9.38%
Q3
3.77%
BF.A
2.89%
Median
1.76%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

PM

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

2.98%

Max
9.38%
Q3
3.77%
PM
2.98%
Median
1.76%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. Philip Morris (PM): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Brown-Forman (BF.A) at 59.32% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Philip Morris (PM) at 87.74% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.

BF.A

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

59.32%

Max
199.19%
Q3
81.03%
BF.A
59.32%
Median
41.52%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

PM

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

87.74%

Max
199.19%
PM
87.74%
Q3
81.03%
Median
41.52%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. Philip Morris (PM): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and Philip Morris (PM)
MetricBF.APM
Dividend Yield (TTM)2.89%2.98%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)59.32%87.74%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Brown-Forman (BF.A) at 20.30 and Philip Morris (PM) at 28.89 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

BF.A

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

20.30

Max
52.52
Q3
30.78
BF.A
20.30
Median
18.76
Q1
12.77
Min
4.72

PM

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

28.89

Max
52.52
Q3
30.78
PM
28.89
Median
18.76
Q1
12.77
Min
4.72
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Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. Philip Morris (PM): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Both look expensive on sales: Brown-Forman (BF.A) at 3.69 sits in the upper P/S ratio quartile, and Philip Morris (PM) at 7.15 prices even higher, above its industry range.

BF.A

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

3.69

Max
4.64
BF.A
3.69
Q3
2.27
Median
1.17
Q1
0.52
Min
0.00

PM

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

7.15

PM
7.15
Max
4.64
Q3
2.27
Median
1.17
Q1
0.52
Min
0.00
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Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. Philip Morris (PM): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Philip Morris (PM) reports a negative P/B ratio of -38.86, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile Brown-Forman (BF.A) reports 3.64, ranking against industry peers normally.

BF.A

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

3.64

Max
6.35
BF.A
3.64
Q3
3.07
Median
1.58
Q1
0.82
Min
0.00

PM

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

-38.86

Max
6.35
Q3
3.07
Median
1.58
Q1
0.82
Min
0.00
PM
-38.86
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Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. Philip Morris (PM): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and Philip Morris (PM)
MetricBF.APM
P/E Ratio (TTM)20.3028.89
P/S Ratio (TTM)3.697.15
P/B Ratio (MRQ)3.64-38.86
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)4.75%3.74%