印度政府对香烟征收新税，相关个股暴跌

Group 1 - The Indian tobacco stocks experienced a sudden drop due to the government's announcement of a new tax on cigarettes, which is expected to increase the cost of smoking for approximately 100 million smokers in the country [1][4] - ITC, a leading player in the industry, saw its stock price decline by 9.7%, while Godfrey Phillips India, responsible for distributing "Marlboro," plummeted by 17% [1][4] - The new excise duty will be imposed based on cigarette length, with tax rates ranging from 2,050 to 8,500 rupees (approximately 22.82 to 94.60 USD) per 1,000 cigarettes, effective from February 1 [4][5] Group 2 - Analysts view the tax increase as "clearly negative," predicting it will impact sales and raise concerns about market share shifting to illegal channels [4][5] - The tax burden is expected to raise overall costs by 22% to 28% for cigarettes longer than 75mm, which account for about 16% of ITC's sales, potentially leading to a price increase of 2 to 3 rupees per cigarette [4][5] - The new tax will be added on top of the existing 40% Goods and Services Tax (GST), which is also set to take effect on February 1 [5][6] Group 3 - The increase in tax burden is higher than previously anticipated by analysts and investors, leading to increased uncertainty and pressure on stock prices [5] - ITC's cigarette business contributes over 40% of its revenue, and the company may need to raise prices by at least 15% to offset the impact of the new tax [5] - The Indian government aims to keep cigarettes "sufficiently expensive" as a means to curb usage and alleviate pressure on the public health system [6]