Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM - Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the ten brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and nine have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $145.44.

Several research firms recently commented on PM. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Philip Morris International from $160.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday. Argus upgraded Philip Morris International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 14th. StockNews.com downgraded Philip Morris International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Barclays raised their price target on Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Philip Morris International from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th.

Philip Morris International Price Performance

Shares of NYSE PM traded up $2.68 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $153.85. 6,458,822 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,569,399. The company's 50 day moving average is $152.03 and its 200 day moving average is $134.63. Philip Morris International has a one year low of $87.82 and a one year high of $163.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $239.47 billion, a PE ratio of 34.11, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.46.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.06. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 7.89% and a negative return on equity of 120.08%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Philip Morris International will post 7.14 EPS for the current year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 20th were given a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.51%. Philip Morris International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 119.73%.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Yann Guerin sold 2,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.28, for a total transaction of $378,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 30,308 shares in the company, valued at $4,584,994.24. This represents a 7.62 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, VP Reginaldo Dobrowolski sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $149.88, for a total transaction of $749,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 20,799 shares in the company, valued at $3,117,354.12. This represents a 19.38 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 131,822 shares of company stock valued at $19,655,585. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Philip Morris International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. NewSquare Capital LLC grew its stake in Philip Morris International by 53.7% during the 4th quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 206 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC boosted its holdings in Philip Morris International by 203.8% in the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 240 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Pacifica Partners Inc. increased its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Knuff & Co LLC purchased a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 78.63% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.