Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) Now Covered by Jefferies Financial Group

Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM - Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage issued a buy rating and a $220.00 target price on the stock.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on PM. UBS Group raised Philip Morris International from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and increased their price target for the stock from $130.00 to $170.00 in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Wall Street Zen raised Philip Morris International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 21st. Needham & Company LLC initiated coverage on Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target 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, Bank of America increased their price target on Philip Morris International from $182.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $181.18.

Philip Morris International Stock Performance

PM stock traded up $1.29 on Wednesday, reaching $179.27. The company had a trading volume of 1,898,377 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,983,886. Philip Morris International has a 1 year low of $102.75 and a 1 year high of $186.69. The company's fifty day moving average is $177.65 and its 200 day moving average is $155.73. The company has a market cap of $279.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.96, a PEG ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.51.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The company reported $1.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.08. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 122.40% and a net margin of 8.43%. The firm had revenue of $9.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.10 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.50 EPS. Philip Morris International's revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Philip Morris International will post 7.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Philip Morris International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 27th will be issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 27th. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.01%. Philip Morris International's payout ratio is 111.34%.

Institutional Trading of Philip Morris International

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PM. Kelly Lawrence W & Associates Inc. CA acquired a new stake in Philip Morris International in the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in Philip Morris International by 405.0% in the 1st quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 202 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the first quarter valued at about $34,000. 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 acquiring an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the first quarter valued at about $35,000. 78.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.