Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) Sets New 1-Year High - Here's Why

Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $173.72 and last traded at $173.21, with a volume of 4543381 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $170.86.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on PM shares. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $182.00 price target (up from $156.00) on shares of Philip Morris International in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Philip Morris International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $163.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Finally, Argus raised Philip Morris International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Philip Morris International has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $166.33.

Philip Morris International Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $269.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.41, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.50. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $157.54 and a 200-day simple moving average of $139.94.

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

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 20th were issued a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.12%. Philip Morris International's dividend payout ratio is currently 111.34%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Philip Morris International news, VP Reginaldo Dobrowolski sold 5,000 shares of the business'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 sale, the vice president now directly 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Chairman Andre Calantzopoulos sold 40,643 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.06, for a total transaction of $6,058,245.58. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 561,349 shares in the company, valued at $83,674,681.94. This represents a 6.75 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 131,822 shares of company stock valued at $19,655,585. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Philip Morris International

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. NewSquare Capital LLC increased its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 72 shares during the period. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Philip Morris International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Pacifica Partners Inc. lifted its stake in Philip Morris International by 115.0% in the first quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. now owns 215 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Philip Morris International during the 1st quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Knuff & Co LLC acquired a new position in Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.63% of the company's stock.

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.

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