Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) Trading Down 2.6% - Here's Why

Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM - Get Free Report) shares traded down 2.6% on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $170.63 and last traded at $170.72. 1,287,007 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 77% from the average session volume of 5,546,658 shares. The stock had previously closed at $175.36.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on PM shares. Citigroup increased their price target on Philip Morris International from $163.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $168.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Philip Morris International from $175.00 to $205.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. StockNews.com raised Philip Morris International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, UBS Group upgraded Philip Morris International from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $130.00 to $170.00 in a report on Friday, April 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $166.33.

Philip Morris International Stock Performance

The company's 50 day moving average price is $158.35 and its 200-day moving average price is $140.42. The stock has a market cap of $267.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.50.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM - Get Free Report) last posted 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. The business had revenue of $9.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.10 billion. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 7.89% and a negative return on equity of 120.08%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.50 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 7.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th were paid a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.14%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 20th. Philip Morris International's dividend payout ratio is currently 111.34%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Werner Barth sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.67, for a total transaction of $1,486,700.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 106,244 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $15,795,295.48. This represents a 8.60 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Reginaldo Dobrowolski sold 5,000 shares of Philip Morris International stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $149.88, for a total value of $749,400.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 20,799 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,117,354.12. The trade was a 19.38 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 131,822 shares of company stock worth $19,655,585 over the last quarter. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of PM. NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 53.7% during the 4th quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 206 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Philip Morris International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Pacifica Partners Inc. grew its stake in Philip Morris International by 115.0% in the 1st quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. now owns 215 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the 1st quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Knuff & Co LLC bought a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. 78.63% of the stock is owned by 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.

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