Ameritas Advisory Services LLC Trims Holdings in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM)

Ameritas Advisory Services LLC lowered its position in shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM - Free Report) by 48.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,883 shares of the company's stock after selling 9,380 shares during the quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $1,569,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of PM. NewSquare Capital LLC grew its holdings in Philip Morris International by 53.7% during the fourth quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 206 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the period. Pacifica Partners Inc. boosted its position in Philip Morris International by 115.0% during the first quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. now owns 215 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the period. Knuff & Co LLC purchased a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Ball & Co Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.63% of the company's stock.

Philip Morris International Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of PM traded down $1.50 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $176.03. The company's stock had a trading volume of 5,571,923 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,623,039. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 52 week low of $100.80 and a 52 week high of $186.69. The stock has a market cap of $273.99 billion, a PE ratio of 36.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.51. The company's fifty day moving average price is $176.63 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $153.71.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The company reported $1.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.08. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 122.40% and a net margin of 8.43%. The firm had revenue of $9.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.10 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.50 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 7.14 EPS for the current year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 27th will be issued a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.07%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 27th. Philip Morris International's dividend payout ratio is 111.34%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PM has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Barclays reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $220.00 price objective (up from $205.00) on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Friday, June 13th. Needham & Company LLC assumed coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Philip Morris International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, June 21st. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $182.00 price objective (up previously from $156.00) on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, UBS Group raised Philip Morris International from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $130.00 to $170.00 in a report on Friday, April 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $176.80.

Philip Morris International Company Profile

Philip Morris International Inc operates as a tobacco company working to delivers a smoke-free future and evolving portfolio for the long-term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. The company's product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products primarily under the IQOS and ZYN brands; and consumer accessories, such as lighters and matches.