Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) Given New $168.00 Price Target at Stifel Nicolaus

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) had its target price boosted by analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $160.00 to $168.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus’ price target would suggest a potential upside of 9.20% from the company’s current price.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on PM. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Philip Morris International in a report on Thursday, January 16th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price target for the company. UBS Group upped their target price on Philip Morris International from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target 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. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Philip Morris International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Philip Morris International presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $145.44.

Philip Morris International Stock Up 1.8 %

PM stock opened at $153.85 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $239.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.11, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.46. Philip Morris International has a twelve month low of $87.82 and a twelve month high of $163.08. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $152.03 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $134.63.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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%. Research analysts expect that Philip Morris International will post 7.14 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Philip Morris International

In other news, SVP Yann Guerin sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.28, for a total transaction of $378,200.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 30,308 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,584,994.24. The trade was a 7.62 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Lars Dahlgren sold 3,679 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 26,828 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,103,610.88. The trade was a 12.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 131,822 shares of company stock valued at $19,655,585 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of PM. NewSquare Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 53.7% during the fourth quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Pacifica Partners Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 115.0% in the first quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. now owns 215 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the period. Knuff & Co LLC purchased a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Ball & Co Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.