Chart of the Day - Reynolds American (RAI)

The "Chart of the Day" is Reynolds American (RAI), which showed up on Wednesday's Barchart "All-Time High" list. RAI on Wednesday posted a new all-time high of $46.84 and closed up +0.54%. TrendSpotter has been long RAI since June 13 at $41.74. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon on Wednesday denied an FDA motion to dismiss a lawsuit by Lorillard Inc. and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. filed last year that alleges financial conflict of interest and bias by several members of the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committees. The suit specifically alleges that some committee members have conflicts of interest because they were paid expert witnesses in anti-tobacco lawsuits and have financial ties to pharmaceutical companies that make smoking-cessation products. Last Tuesday, RAI reported Q2 adjusted earnings of 79 cents per share, beating expectations of 76 cents as the company focuses on cigarette alternatives such as snuff and chewing tobacco for future sales growth as tax hikes, smoking bans, health concerns and social stigma make the cigarette business tougher. Reynolds American with a market cap of $26.6 billion, is the parent company of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, Inc., Lane Limited and R.J. Reynolds Global Products, Inc. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, the second- largest U.S. tobacco company, manufactures about one of every three cigarettes sold in the United States, including five of the nation's 10 best-selling brands.