Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) Price Target Raised to $180.00 at Citigroup

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM - Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by Citigroup from $163.00 to $180.00 in a report issued on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat reports. They currently have a buy rating on the stock.

A number of other brokerages have also issued reports on PM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Argus raised Philip Morris International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 14th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Philip Morris International from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on Philip Morris International from $160.00 to $168.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. One 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. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $150.78.

Philip Morris International Trading Up 1.6 %

Philip Morris International stock traded up $2.60 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $163.08. 7,543,615 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,595,825. The stock has a market capitalization of $253.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.16, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.46. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $153.80 and its 200 day simple moving average is $135.92. Philip Morris International has a fifty-two week low of $91.38 and a fifty-two week high of $165.00.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. Equities analysts anticipate that Philip Morris International will post 7.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 20th were issued a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.31%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 20th. Philip Morris International's payout ratio is currently 119.73%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Werner Barth sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.67, for a total transaction of $1,486,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 106,244 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $15,795,295.48. This represents a 8.60 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Lars Dahlgren sold 3,679 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the insider now directly owns 26,828 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,103,610.88. This trade represents a 12.06 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 131,822 shares of company stock valued at $19,655,585 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Philip Morris International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of PM. NewSquare Capital LLC lifted its stake in Philip Morris International by 53.7% in the 4th quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 206 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Pacifica Partners Inc. increased its position in Philip Morris International by 115.0% during the 1st quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. now owns 215 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Knuff & Co LLC purchased a new position in Philip Morris International in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Ball & Co Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. 78.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.