Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) Chairman Sells $6,058,245.58 in Stock

Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) Chairman Andre Calantzopoulos sold 40,643 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $149.06, for a total value of $6,058,245.58. Following the completion of 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Philip Morris International Trading Up 1.5 %

Shares of NYSE PM traded up $2.29 during trading on Friday, reaching $153.86. The company had a trading volume of 3,374,066 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,616,010. Philip Morris International Inc. has a twelve month low of $87.82 and a twelve month high of $154.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $239.23 billion, a PE ratio of 34.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.55. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $129.26 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $126.08.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.06. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 120.08% and a net margin of 7.89%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 7.13 EPS for the current year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 26th were given a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.51%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 26th. Philip Morris International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 119.73%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on PM shares. UBS Group lifted their price target on Philip Morris International from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Barclays cut their price target on Philip Morris International from $155.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Philip Morris International in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price target on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $141.22.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Philip Morris International

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Aurdan Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Philip Morris International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $7,453,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 5.9% during the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 3,341,104 shares of the company’s stock worth $402,102,000 after purchasing an additional 187,041 shares during the period. Forum Financial Management LP raised its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 21.0% during the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 12,856 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,547,000 after purchasing an additional 2,234 shares during the period. Griffith & Werner Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $297,000. Finally, Castlekeep Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,941,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.