Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) Sets New 52-Week High – Time to Buy?

Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $161.99 and last traded at $159.40, with a volume of 1048145 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $156.17.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PM has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. 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 shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Thursday, January 16th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 target price for the company. Argus upgraded shares of Philip Morris International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 14th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Philip Morris International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, Philip Morris International currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $144.56.

Philip Morris International Price Performance

The business has a 50-day moving average of $147.92 and a 200 day moving average of $132.82. The company has a market cap of $251.66 billion, a PE ratio of 35.83, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.53.

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 net margin of 7.89% and a negative return on equity of 120.08%. On average, equities analysts predict that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 7.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be given a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.34%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. Philip Morris International’s payout ratio is 119.73%.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Reginaldo Dobrowolski sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 trade represents a 19.38 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Andre Calantzopoulos sold 40,643 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 561,349 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $83,674,681.94. This represents a 6.75 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 131,822 shares of company stock valued at $19,655,585 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Philip Morris International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PM. Omnia Family Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Omnia Family Wealth LLC now owns 3,851 shares of the company’s stock valued at $469,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Meridian Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in Philip Morris International by 4.1% during the fourth quarter. Meridian Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,781 shares of the company’s stock valued at $214,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC increased its holdings in 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. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV lifted its stake in Philip Morris International by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 3,628 shares of the company’s stock worth $437,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Balboa Wealth Partners boosted its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Balboa Wealth Partners now owns 3,712 shares of the company’s stock valued at $447,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. 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.