US Bancorp DE Decreases Holdings in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM)

Key Points

• US Bancorp DE has reduced its stake in Philip Morris International Inc. by 2.6%, selling 17,123 shares, bringing its total holdings to 651,704 shares worth approximately $103 million.
• Several institutional investors increased their positions in Philip Morris during the fourth quarter, highlighting a continued interest in the stock, which is currently 78.63% owned by hedge funds and institutional investors.
• A number of analysts have raised their price targets for Philip Morris International, with the average target price now at $186.27 and a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy."

US Bancorp DE decreased its position in shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM - Free Report) by 2.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 651,704 shares of the company's stock after selling 17,123 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE's holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $103,446,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in PM. Pacifica Partners Inc. grew its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 115.0% during the first quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. now owns 215 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International during the first quarter valued at about $35,000. Inlight Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International during the first quarter valued at about $38,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International during the fourth quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Hughes Financial Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International during the first quarter valued at about $46,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.63% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on PM shares. Wall Street Zen raised Philip Morris International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, July 20th. UBS Group raised their target price on Philip Morris International from $170.00 to $181.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, July 14th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 target price on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Philip Morris International from $168.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on Philip Morris International from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $186.27.

Philip Morris International Price Performance

NYSE PM traded down $1.09 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $162.96. The stock had a trading volume of 7,552,974 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,943,793. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 1 year low of $113.15 and a 1 year high of $186.69. The stock has a market cap of $253.66 billion, a PE ratio of 30.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $177.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $162.20.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 22nd. The company reported $1.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.05. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 9.03% and a negative return on equity of 120.86%. The company had revenue of $10.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.33 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.59 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 7.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Friday, June 27th were issued a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 27th. Philip Morris International's payout ratio is presently 102.66%.

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.