Lewis Asset Management LLC Buys New Shares in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM)

Lewis Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 2,360 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $284,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in Philip Morris International by 24.5% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 8,701 shares of the company's stock worth $882,000 after acquiring an additional 1,715 shares in the last quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. boosted its stake in Philip Morris International by 24.8% in the 2nd quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 5,077 shares of the company's stock worth $514,000 after purchasing an additional 1,009 shares in the last quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Philip Morris International by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 23,692 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,401,000 after purchasing an additional 946 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Alpha LLC increased its stake in Philip Morris International by 9.9% during the 2nd quarter. Advisory Alpha LLC now owns 4,030 shares of the company's stock valued at $408,000 after purchasing an additional 363 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Granite Bay Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Philip Morris International in the second quarter worth about $203,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.63% of the company's stock.

Philip Morris International Price Performance

Shares of PM traded down $0.16 on Friday, reaching $130.16. The company's stock had a trading volume of 5,331,134 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,484,783. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $125.23 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $122.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $202.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.66, a PEG ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.54. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 12-month low of $87.82 and a 12-month high of $134.15.

Philip Morris International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 26th were paid a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.15%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 26th. Philip Morris International's dividend payout ratio is presently 85.71%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on PM shares. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Philip Morris International from $103.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Barclays cut their target price on Philip Morris International from $155.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Philip Morris International in a report on Thursday, January 16th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 price target on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $145.00 price objective (up from $138.00) on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on Philip Morris International from $118.50 to $132.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $131.35.

Philip Morris International 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.