American Tobacco
the American Tobacco Company Incorporated Annual Report 1952
Fields
- Litigation
- 10004026
- Type
- Annual Report
- Report
- Date Loaded
- 23 Nov 1998
- Attachment
- 60067694
- Author
- American Tobacco Company
- Brand
- Lucky
- Pall Mall
- Herbert Tareyton
- La Corona
- Antonio Y Cleopatra
- Roi-Tan
- Half & Half
- Bull Durham
- Pall Mall
Document Images
19S2
0926716-008

annual
or,
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 7952
W]TH CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
AND RETAINED EARNINGS
Executive Office 111 FIFTH AVENUE • NEW YORK 3, N. Y.

Ss952
,9~_=
Net income per common share ................. : ................ $4.79
Dividends paid per eonm]on share ............................. 4.00
19s~1
$4.64*
4.00
Net s~les ........................................................ $1,065,73B,454
Income, before taxes on income ....................... 78,351,963
Net income .......................................... 34,G68,963
Dividends pald (preferred and common) ............. 27,@95,973
Portion of ~el income invested in assets used in the h~lsi~es~
and to provide ior debenture sinking fund requirements 6,972,990
Current assets, December 31 .......................... 712,653,905
Current liabilities, December 31 ....................... 161,399,785
Net working capital, December 31 ............... 55L254,120
8'942,552,034
80,397,669
33,109,669
24,675,682
8,433,987
668,233,873
212,177,930
456~055,94,1
Nuraher of stockholders at December 31:
Common ................................... 74.792
66,693
Preferred ................................. 8,166
8,324
* Ba~ed upon 6~454,110 v.hares outstanding al December 2;1, 1952. Baaed upon 5,~78,425 shares which
wore outstanding ~t December 31, 1951, ~he amount wa~ $5.57 per share.

To our STOCKHOLDEII$:
This letter, together with the accompany-
ing financial ~tatemeots, is your Manage-
ment's report on the operations of your
Company, incladillg its consolidated sub-
sidiarles, in 1952. The financial results
for tile year are, of course, of paramouut
interett to the stockholders. Some o1 the
more important facts relating to 1952 opera-
tions are set forth below:
1. Dollar and unit sales reached a new
high and were again the largest in"
the industry. Dollar sales totaled
$1,065,738,454.
2. Net income f,,r the year increased
to $34,068,963.
3. The sale in March 1952 of addltlonal
common stock and debentures has
materially strengthened your Com-
pany's financial position.
SALES
Dollar volume in 1952 increased
$123,186,420 to $i,065,738,454. About
59 per cent of the gain was due to higher
unit sales of elgarettes and the remainder
to the rise ht the Federal excise tax that
became effective November l, 1951. Sales
of the Company in 1952 increased at a
rate substantially h~gher than that for the
industlT as a whole.
February 5, 1953
Between 19,tO and 1952 inclusive, the
dollar sales volume of The American To-
bacco C.mpany increased by 245 per eel,t,
compared with an increase of 185 per cent
in the combined dollar sales volume of the
four other principal tobacco companies.
This is illustrated in the following chart,
in wblch 1940 salem volume fo," tl,e Com-
pany and /or the four other pHncipaI
tobacco companies is indexed at 100.
Growth in Dollar Sales
Since 1940
0940=100)
~ IM A~ ToMe:o ~r~
m Four Major Com~fitors
1940 '41 '42 '43 '44 '4~ '46 '47 '48 '49 '50 '51 '52
Tf~e Ctmlpany's ttnit sales of cigarettes
in 1952 were the largest in the industry
and in the Company's history. Ahlmugh
LUCKY STRIKE total domestic ~ales
showed a decline for the year, there are

encouraging indications dmt in potentially
important groups of consumers LUCKY
SIRIKE has achieved sales leadership.
One oŁ sltch groups is the United States
Armed Forces, ~*here reports indicate that
lUCKY STRIKE is the favotile brand.
Also, a recent nation-wide sur~ey based on
actual interviews at eighty leading col-
leges indicates that cellege students prefer
LUCKY STRIKE by a wide margin and
that LUCKY STRIKE, during the college
year September 1951 f~ ]line 1952, gained
more smokers than the nation's two other
principal brands combined.
Sales of our two king-size cigarettes
PALL MALL and HERBERT TAREYTON,
increased substantially in 1952. PALL
MALL is the largest-selling klng-size cig-
arette in America and has advanced to
fourth place among all cigarette brands.
Sales of LA CORONA and ANTONIO y
CLEOPATPu~, leaders in the field of high*
grade cigars, were higher in I952 than in
the previous year. ROI-TAN eontinued to
be the large~t-selling eigar in its price class.
Sales of the Company's smoking tobacco
brands, wtdeh constitute a relatively minor
portion of tot,d sales, decreased at about
fl~e same rate as that re*" d~e industry as
a whole.
EAIII~INGs AND TAXES
Consolidated net income for 1952
amounted to $84,068,963 and was $959,
294 higher than fog 1951_
.Income before taxes was less than for
the previous year, but fieeause of lower
excess p˘ofits and income tax liability, ]let
ineemu increased. The lower tax liability
was due principally to greater excess profits
tax credit whb:h resulted ~'rom the ~ale in
OI ˘ i i I I I t
19,10 '41 '42 '43 '44 '15 '46 '47 '4~ '49 '50 '51 '52
March 1952 of additional common stock
and debentures.
Taxes on income in 1952 were equivalent
to $(;.86 per common share compared with
earnngs o+' $1.79 per share after taxes.
DIYI:DENDS
During 1952 dividends of $4.00 per
sbare were 1told on the common stock, eort-
sistlng of fmu" regular quarterly dividends
of 75 cents each and art extra dividend of
$i.00. A dividend of S1.75 per share,
consisting of the regular dividend of 75
cents and an extra dividend of $1.00, will
be r~ ailed to stockhoblers on March 2, 1953.
'I'ihe March 2 dividend is the 190th con-
secutive dividend paid mt the common stock
siru:e the incorporation of the Company in
1904. While the amount of the dividends
paid on common stock during these years
hats ~,aried because of wa'iations in earnings,
dividends on the preierred and tttmltnon
stocks have been paid every year since tim
incorporation of the Company. This is a~l
ou stand ng record and one ha S espee a y

important to stockholders who depend upon
the regularity oŁ their investment income,
CIGARETTE PRICES
At this time last year your Management
reported that it was making every effort to
obtain permission from the Office of Price
Stabilization to raise the price of eigarottcs.
0a April 15, 1952, the Office of Price
Stabilization informed the cigarette indus-
try iliab based on its survey of cost and
earnings in the industlT, no change in
ceilings would be made at that time. 011
September 15, 1952, the Company re-
quested the 0IEce ol Price Stabilization to
reconsider clgarette ceiling prices. Supple-
mental data was furnished to the Of~ce of
Price Stabilization in connection with this
request. On January 7, 1950, the Company
was informed that the committee which had
been appointed to review this request had~
reeomrnended disapproval of a price in-
CreaSe.
Slight relief from the eust-prbe ~lUeeze
was obtained in August when cigar prices
were decontrolled. However, slnee cigar
sales represent only a very small pordon
of our total sales, the relief afforded hy
the rise in cigar prices is insignificant.
As a consequence, your Company had to
absorb the continuing higher costs of Maf
tobacco, packaging materials, wages and
other items without being able to recover
any appreciable portion of such additional
costs through increases in the prices of its
products.
Thus, notwithstanding substantially larg-
er sales volume,--higher by $123,000,000
than in 1951, income before taxes was
less in 1952 than Jn the previous year. If
it had not been for diminished excess profits
and income tax liability for 1952, net in-
come for 1952 would have been lower than
for i951.
The expected expiration or terminaSon of
cigarette price controls gives hope for the
future.
INVENTORIES
As has been true fnr a number of years
pasb the Company's inventories of leaf
tobacco, manutactnred stock, operating
supplies, etc., again increased in 1952.
The amount of the increase was approxi-
mately $46,000,000. Most of this was thte
t~J tim larger physical quantities of leaf
tobacco which are necessary to maintain
adequate supplies of properly aged leaf
consistent with the growth of the Company's
business.
Although drought eondi8ons, which were
generally prevalent throughout the tobacco-
g~owing areas this summe~, adversely af-
fected the 1952 tobacco crops, your Com-
pany was able to foresee this condition in
time to make pre~season purchases of prior
yoars' tobacco, thus obtaining an adequate
quantity of top quality cigarettte tobacco
commensurate with its production rcquire-
inent~.
During the period from 1940 to 1952,
the Company's sales expanded from
$309,325,885 to $1,065,738,454 while
inventories rose from $159,428,115 to
$640,753,119. The increase in the value
of irlvcntories during this period was due
to the larger physical quantities of leaf
tobacco needed and to higher prices re-
quired to be paid tor our leaf purchases.
The growth in the Company's volume of
sales over the years, together with the larger
quantities of tobacco required in the pro-

771e ~n~can Tdmcco Compauy
Growth in [uve~#ories and Sales
1940 '41 '42 '~ '44 '45 '46 '47 '48 '49 '50 '5I '52
duction of FALL MALL and HERBERT
TAREYTON king-sizo cigarettes, has oc-
casloned the increase in the physical quan-
tity of our leaf tobacco inventories.
Since 1933, except for the year 1939,
the Federal Government has exercised a
degree of restrictive control over the pro-
duetlon of flue-em'ed and hurley tobacco
crops. Marketing quotns have been in eiiect
for flue~eured and bttrley tobaccos, az~d
Congress has provided mandatory price
support for tobaee~ wheoevcr m~rketit/g
quotas are Jn effect..Largely as a conse-
quence of this program, the prices paid
by the Company during the past season
for flue-cured and bttrley tobaccos, which
are the principal cigarette types of leaf
tobacco, weze more than two and ~ne-half
times as higit as they were ia 2940.
Funds for the larger investment in leaf
tobacco inventories have been provided
seasonally through short-term loans from
banks. However, at periodic inter~als since
1940, the Company has funded a total of
$325,000,000 of short.term debts and has
obtained approximately $I0%,000~000 from
the sale ot! additio~ral common stock to its
stockholders.
In March t952theCompany sold approx-
imately $54,000,000 of common stock and
sg0,000,000 of debentures, the proceeds o~
which were used to retire an equivalent
amount of bank loans, which had amounted
to $140,(EO,000 on Decernb,er 31, 1951,
and had reaohed a peak of $162,000,000
in January 1952.
Your Management takes pleasure in re-
porting that of the 1,075,6~15 shares of
common stock oKered to the common stock-
holders at $52 per share in March 1952,
1,047,864 shares (or 97.4 per cent) were
suhscrlbed for through the exercise of
rights. The remaining 27,821 shares were
purchased by the underwriters.
Bank loans at December 31, 1952,
amounted 1o $92,000,000, a decrease of
$48p000,000 front the end oJf I951.
During the year, fmlded debt prevthusl3'
issued was reduced $10,366,000 through
the operation of sinking funds.
Your Mat~agement is of the oplnthu that
working capital at the present time is ade-
quate for tbe needs of the foreseeable future,
and in the absence of unusual developments
doe~ not contemplate any new financing.
THE COMP~N'Y~S POSITION
IN TI~E IN/)(JSTHy
Each stockholder of The American To.
haceo Company has the advantage of having
a major slake in virtuaBy the entire field of
tobacco products. Your Company is in the

exceptionally strong position of having three
out of the seven most popular cigarette
brands--LUCKY STRIKE, PALL MALL
and HERBERT TAREYTON; three great
cigar brands--LA CORONA, ANTONIO y
CLEOPATRA and ROI-TAN; and two
popular smoking tobacco brands--HALF &
HALF and BULL DURHAM. Thus, each
stockholder has an interest in a group of
broods, whlch represents the best diversi-
fication of sales in the industry.
In addition to its prominent position in
the standard-~ize cigarette field, which is
maintained by the Company's largest hrand,
LUCKY STRIKE, your Company is well
established in the klng-size field with PALL
MALL and HERBERT TAREYTON.
ADVERTISING
Your Company's products are sold in a
highly eompetiBve market and the main- ,,
tenance of the leading position oŁ the
Company's brands requires extensive adver-
tising and promotion. Sales of file Com-
pany's principal eiga~elte brand& LUCKY
STRIKE, pALL MALL and HERBERT
TAREYTON, are promoted extellslvely
through televislon~ radio, magazine, news-
paper and billboard advertising.
Advertising is a principal factor in
achieving the great volume of cigarette
sales, without which the cost of manufac-
turing cigarettes and their price to the con-
sumer would necessarily be ruuch higher
than they are today. Considerable misin-
formaBon exists as to the cost of cigarette
advertising. In spite of its comprehensive
nattrre, your Company s c'gare e adver s-
ing costs only about one-third of a cent per
package of twenty eigarenes.
Throughout all our advertising runs the
tnaiu theme of quality, which is the most
importallt factor in the popularity of
LUCKY STRIKE, PALL MALL ned
HERBERT TAREYTON Cigarettes. The
use of quality leaf tobacco and die careful
methods employed in the manufacture of
our cigarette brands are eonstandy empha-
sized in our advertising.
During 1952, LUCKY STRIKE televi-
sion and radio programs and personalities
continued to receive recognition through
some twenty-five different local and national
awards for excellence of performance.
"Your Hit Parade", herb in televisJo~ al)d
radio, took top honors th the musleaI field;
"Robert Montgomery Presents" was voted
the best television dramatic serie% and
"The Jack Betray Program" was again
named the outstanding comedy show and
Mr. Benny the best comedian.
EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
As of the end of the year the Company
and its subsidiaries had approximately
19,000 reguIar fuR-tlme employees in the
United States. The relafionsbJp between
the Company and its employees has been
satisfactory.
All regular fulbtime employees in tbe
United States are covered by a retirement
plan and are provided wifil group life insur-
ance coverage. In addition, medical attd
hospital benefits are provided, as well as
sick leave pay.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I
should like Io expless our appreciation for
the continued active intere*t of tlw ~tock-
holders in the affairs 0Ł o~sc Ccmq)any mtd
for the cooperation of our employees and
elxs~Olners.
PAUL M. H~.llrt
President
7

1952 OPERATIONS AT A GLANCE
THE COMPANY RECEIVED
FOR GOODS IT SOLD AND
FROM DIVIDENDS, INTEREST
AND M]SCELLANEOUS
$1,067,211,000
THIS IS HOW IT WAS USED OR
54% FOR
REVENUE 5TAMPS
AND TAXES
27% FOR
TOBACCO (incJudlng
applicabEe expenses)
SET ASIDE:
$575,089,000
$287,852,000
15% FO~
WAGES, GOODS,
SERVICES, ETC.
1% FOR
BOND AND
BANK INTEREST
$160,302,000
$9,899,000
1/~% FOR
EARNINGS RETAINED
TO MEET FUTURE NEEDS
$27,096,000
$6,973,000

{
~/.)t< i ~t'~,'~J~j ~'t~///C r~E,~ ~
subsidlarie~ except The Amerlean
For years ended December 31
Toba˘c° Company of ~ Orient, Ine'
19~2
l%~T SALES .............................. $1,065,738,454
Cost of sales, selling, general and administrative expenses
OPEBATING PROFIT ..........................
OI]]er income .............. , ...........................
1951
$942,552,034
978,021,712 8.53,438,725
87,716,742 89,113,309
1,472,029 860,124
89,188,771
89,973,4~33
Interest and related charges ...................... 9,899,263
8,957,832
Other deductions from income .................................... 937,545
617,932
Total deductions ................... 10,836,808
9,575.764
Income, before taxes on income ................................ 78,351,963
80,397,669
Federal and other taxes on income (Note 1) ................ 44,283,000 47,288,000
NET INCOME ................................................... 34,068,963 33,109,669
Retained earnings, beginning of year ............................. 112,754,074
104,320,087
] 4~5,823,037
137,429,756
Cash dividends:
Common stock, $4 pel" share .................................. 23,933,991
21,513,700
Preferred stock, $6 per share .............................. 3,161,982
3,16],982
Total dividends ...................... 27,095,973
- 24,673,682
Retained earnings, end of year (Note 2) $119,727,064
$112,754,074
Depreeialioh pravided and charged Io costs and expenses amounted to $3,I00,517 in 1952
and g2,996,883 in 1951.
9
