Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Acquires 19,370 Shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM)

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM - Free Report) by 3.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 592,171 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 19,370 shares during the quarter. Philip Morris International accounts for about 1.8% of Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $93,995,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. NewSquare Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 53.7% during the fourth quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 206 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the period. Pacifica Partners Inc. grew its position in Philip Morris International by 115.0% in the first quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. now owns 215 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new position in Philip Morris International in the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Philip Morris International in the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Knuff & Co LLC bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.63% of the company's stock.

Philip Morris International Trading Down 0.0%

PM traded down $0.09 during trading on Friday, reaching $184.01. 5,500,599 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,616,010. Philip Morris International Inc. has a one year low of $98.93 and a one year high of $185.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $286.41 billion, a PE ratio of 40.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.52. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $170.67 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $149.22.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The company reported $1.69 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.08. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 7.89% and a negative return on equity of 120.08%. The company had revenue of $9.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.10 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.50 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 7.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 27th will be given a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.93%. Philip Morris International's dividend payout ratio is presently 111.34%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on PM shares. UBS Group raised shares of Philip Morris International from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $130.00 to $170.00 in a research report on Friday, April 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $182.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $163.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC assumed coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. They set a "buy" rating for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $176.80.

Philip Morris International 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.