Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Saturday morning.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. Barclays decreased their price target on Philip Morris International from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. KGI Securities assumed coverage on Philip Morris International in a research report on Monday, August 4th. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Morgan Stanley set a $175.00 target price on shares of Philip Morris International and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, September 4th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and set a $195.00 price objective on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $194.00.

Philip Morris International Price Performance

NYSE:PM opened at $144.58 on Friday. Philip Morris International has a one year low of $116.12 and a one year high of $186.69. The company has a market cap of $225.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.19, a P/E/G ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.43. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $159.59 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $168.79.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, March 28th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 9.33% and a negative return on equity of 122.14%. The company had revenue of $8.12 billion during the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Philip Morris International will post 7.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Philip Morris International Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, October 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 3rd were issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. This is a positive change from Philip Morris International’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.35. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 3rd. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.1%. Philip Morris International’s payout ratio is presently 106.52%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Everett Harris & Co. CA raised its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Everett Harris & Co. CA now owns 15,170 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,461,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. Ritter Daniher Financial Advisory LLC DE increased its stake in Philip Morris International by 4,189.0% during the 3rd quarter. Ritter Daniher Financial Advisory LLC DE now owns 4,289 shares of the company’s stock worth $696,000 after buying an additional 4,189 shares in the last quarter. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 3.4% during the third quarter. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC now owns 2,925 shares of the company’s stock valued at $474,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the third quarter valued at approximately $107,000. Finally, Carl P. Sherr & Co. LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International in the third quarter worth approximately $201,000. 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.