Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Lowers Position in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM)

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA decreased its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) by 1.4% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 645,694 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,254 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA’s holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $77,709,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. NewSquare Capital LLC lifted its stake in Philip Morris International by 53.7% during the fourth quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 203.8% during the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 240 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Philip Morris International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Knuff & Co LLC purchased a new stake in Philip Morris International in the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in Philip Morris International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. 78.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Philip Morris International Price Performance

NYSE PM opened at $155.17 on Friday. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 1 year low of $87.82 and a 1 year high of $159.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $241.27 billion, a PE ratio of 34.41, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.53. The business’s 50-day moving average is $145.83 and its 200 day moving average is $132.14.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 7.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be issued a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.48%. Philip Morris International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 119.73%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on PM shares. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Argus raised shares of Philip Morris International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 14th. StockNews.com cut Philip Morris International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 target price for the company. Finally, UBS Group raised 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $144.56.

Insider Transactions at Philip Morris International

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