Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) Stake Boosted by UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) by 16.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,209,376 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 854,220 shares during the quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC owned approximately 0.40% of Philip Morris International worth $747,298,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 53.7% during the 4th quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Philip Morris International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. Knuff & Co LLC bought a new stake in Philip Morris International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in Philip Morris International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Transce3nd LLC bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. 78.63% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Philip Morris International Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of NYSE:PM opened at $173.11 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $269.45 billion, a PE ratio of 38.38, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.50. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 1-year low of $98.93 and a 1-year high of $176.49. The business’s 50 day moving average is $160.79 and its 200-day moving average is $142.70.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The company reported $1.69 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.08. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 120.08% and a net margin of 7.89%. The firm had revenue of $9.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.10 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.50 earnings per share. Philip Morris International’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 7.14 EPS for the current year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th were given a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.12%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 20th. Philip Morris International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 111.34%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on PM shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Philip Morris International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Barclays raised their price target on Philip Morris International from $175.00 to $205.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Philip Morris International from $163.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Philip Morris International from $168.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $166.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Philip Morris International news, insider Lars Dahlgren sold 3,679 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 6th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $4,103,610.88. This represents a 12.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Emmanuel Babeau sold 30,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.85, for a total transaction of $4,465,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 139,105 shares in the company, valued at $20,705,779.25. This represents a 17.74% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 126,822 shares of company stock valued at $18,906,185 over the last quarter. Corporate 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.