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

Key Points

• Philip Morris International Inc. has received a **consensus recommendation** of "Moderate Buy" from 13 ratings firms, with 12 analysts rating the stock as a buy.
• The company recently increased its **quarterly dividend** to $1.47, resulting in an annualized dividend of $5.88 and a yield of 3.7%.
• Philip Morris reported **$1.59 earnings per share** with a revenue of $8.12 billion for its last quarter, boasting a market capitalization of **$245.99 billion**.

Shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM - Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the thirteen ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $194.00.

PM has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus set a $180.00 target price on Philip Morris International in a report on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen lowered Philip Morris International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. UBS Group lowered their target price on Philip Morris International from $177.00 to $166.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 5th. Morgan Stanley set a $175.00 price target on shares of Philip Morris International and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Philip Morris International in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th.

Philip Morris International Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of Philip Morris International stock opened at $158.03 on Friday. Philip Morris International has a 12-month low of $116.12 and a 12-month high of $186.69. The company has a market capitalization of $245.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.63, a PEG ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.46. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $162.50 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $168.77.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 28th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of $8.12 billion during the quarter. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 11.02% and a negative return on equity of 122.14%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Philip Morris International will post 7.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Philip Morris International Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, October 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 3rd were paid a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 3rd. This is a positive change from Philip Morris International's previous quarterly dividend of $1.35. Philip Morris International's dividend payout ratio is currently 106.52%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Philip Morris International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Traub Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Philip Morris International during the second quarter worth $25,000. Abound Wealth Management increased its holdings in Philip Morris International by 566.7% in the second quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 160 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the period. Kelly Lawrence W & Associates Inc. CA acquired a new stake in Philip Morris International in the first quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Briaud Financial Planning Inc lifted its holdings in Philip Morris International by 266.7% during the 2nd quarter. Briaud Financial Planning Inc now owns 165 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.63% of the company's stock.

About Philip Morris International

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.

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