Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) Shares Acquired by Benjamin Edwards Inc.

Key Points

• Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its stake in Philip Morris International Inc. by 7.6%, now holding 47,106 shares valued at approximately $7.48 million.
• Philip Morris announced a quarterly dividend of $1.35 per share, representing a 3.2% dividend yield with a payout ratio of 102.66%.
• Analysts maintain a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for Philip Morris, with a target price averaging $186.27.

Benjamin Edwards Inc. lifted its holdings in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM - Free Report) by 7.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 47,106 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 3,330 shares during the period. Benjamin Edwards Inc.'s holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $7,477,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in PM. Pacifica Partners Inc. lifted its stake in Philip Morris International by 115.0% in 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 last quarter. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Philip Morris International in the first quarter worth about $35,000. Ball & Co Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in Philip Morris International in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new stake in Philip Morris International in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Inlight Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Philip Morris International in the first quarter worth about $38,000. Institutional investors own 78.63% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on PM shares. Citigroup reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Philip Morris International in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $168.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $170.00 to $181.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, July 14th. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $175.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $186.27.

Philip Morris International Stock Down 1.0%

PM stock traded down $1.74 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $168.58. 5,443,920 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,016,421. The firm has a market capitalization of $262.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.05, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.48. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 1 year low of $115.87 and a 1 year high of $186.69. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $175.77 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $164.04.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 22nd. The company reported $1.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $10.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.33 billion. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 9.03% and a negative return on equity of 120.86%. Philip Morris International's revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.59 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 7.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 27th were paid a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 27th. Philip Morris International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 102.66%.

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.