Altria (NYSE: MO), the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, is the largest tobacco company in the United States. Most investors likely recognize it as a blue chip stock, which is owned for stability and income. But as a long-term investment, Altria's future is murky because domestic smoking rates have declined over the past several decades. It repeatedly raised its prices, cut costs, and bought back its shares to offset that slowdown, but those strategies could be unsustainable.

I believe Atria is a decent safe-haven play for this ongoing bear market, but it could lose its luster once a new bull market starts. Today, I'll discuss three lesser-known aspects of Altria's business -- and how they might impact its future.

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