Sciencast Management LP Invests $3.04 Million in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM)

Sciencast Management LP bought a new stake in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 25,273 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,042,000. Philip Morris International comprises about 0.8% of Sciencast Management LP’s holdings, making the stock its 22nd largest position.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of PM. NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 53.7% in 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. Dunhill Financial LLC boosted its holdings in Philip Morris International by 203.8% in the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 240 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares during the last quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Knuff & Co LLC acquired a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International in the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.63% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on PM shares. UBS Group lifted their price target on Philip Morris International from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased 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, February 18th. Argus raised Philip Morris International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 14th. StockNews.com cut shares of Philip Morris International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price objective for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $144.56.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Lars Dahlgren sold 3,679 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $152.96, for a total transaction of $562,739.84. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 26,828 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,103,610.88. This represents a 12.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Reginaldo Dobrowolski sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.88, for a total transaction of $749,400.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 20,799 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,117,354.12. This trade represents a 19.38 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 131,822 shares of company stock worth $19,655,585 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Philip Morris International Trading Down 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE PM opened at $151.25 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $142.37 and a 200 day moving average of $131.14. The stock has a market cap of $235.16 billion, a PE ratio of 33.54, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.53. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 12-month low of $87.82 and a 12-month high of $159.51.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 forecast that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 7.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.57%. Philip Morris International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 119.73%.

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.