The cigarette industry has faced a long secular decline in demand as smokers gravitate away from the habit and send shipment volumes downward. It’s therefore somewhat surprising to see that Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM) has been able to post such impressive gains so far this year, with the stock rising more than 30% as of early July. There are three main factors that have helped to lift Philip Morris’ shares in 2017, and investors are hopeful that those positive impacts could continue, and carry the stock even higher in the months to come.