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A World of Growth for Philip Morris? (PM) 

Yep, Philip Morris is going on a shopping spree, to increase its global presence and show British American Tobacco something about being the "most" international. Market leadership is the name of the game for Philip Morris, holder of the precious flagship brand Marlboro. In its quest for global supremacy, Philip Morris purchased Canada's Rothmans last year. With a cigarette market share of 33%, and a majority of the fine-cut-tobacco market in Canada, Rothmans expanded Philip Morris' stake in that market.

Within the past few weeks, Big Phil bought privately held Colombian cigarette maker Protabaco, and pipe tobacco and snuff-maker Swedish Match South Africa. Protabaco currently holds 31.8% market share in Colombia, and it should complement Philip Morris' existing Coltabaco operations there. Swedish Match South Africa will deliver market-leader status to Philip Morris, since it sells 31% of all tobacco consumed in South Africa.

Colombia isn't a bad place for Philip Morris to grow. . . .

Acquisitions, mergers, strategic alliances: Whatever you want to call them, partnerships and purchases are the name of the game for Big Cigs, especially when it comes to global growth. Philip Morris may be formally out of the game in the States, but its counterpart, British American Tobacco, possesses 42% of Reynolds American (NYSE: RAI). Reynolds is second in U.S. cigarette market share, while Lorillard (NYSE: LO) continues to light things up in third place.

Hey, acquisition isn't a bad way to drive expansion when organic growth starts to falter. . . .

Whether Philip Morris International can successfully market itself as a healthy choice for investors remains to be seen. For now, it will have to settle for being the world's "almost" most international tobacco group.

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