Spinning off Phillip Morris into a separate company in 2008 gave Altria the ability to sell cigarettes and other products with less scrutiny domestically while the maker of Marlboro pursued growth internationally. The two companies no doubt see the time as right to merge into one entity again, given the lax atmosphere for anti-competitive oversight in the States. The combined concern would be the largest tobacco company worldwide, with a market capitalization of over $200 billion.