Lars Dahlgren of Philip Morris International Sells Shares

On March 6th, Lars Dahlgren, an insider at Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM), sold 3,679 shares of the company’s stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $152.96 each, resulting in a total transaction value of $562,739.84. After this sale, Dahlgren now possesses 26,828 shares in Philip Morris, which have an estimated worth of $4,103,610.88. This divestiture represents a 12.06% reduction in his ownership stake in the company. Details of this transaction were filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), and individuals can view the filing online.

Philip Morris International Price Performance

In trading on the following Friday, PM shares dipped by $2.50 to a price of $151.05. During the day, over 4,585,455 shares changed hands, which is lower than its average trading volume of 5,166,635. Notably, Philip Morris International shares have seen a fifty-two week low of $87.82 and a high of $159.51. The company currently holds a market capitalization of $234.86 billion, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.48, a PEG ratio of 2.65, and a beta of 0.53. The fifty-day simple moving average stands at $135.47, while the two-hundred-day simple moving average is at $128.78.

Philip Morris International Dividend Announcement

Recently, Philip Morris International announced a quarterly dividend that will be distributed on April 10th. Shareholders who are on record as of March 20th will receive a dividend of $1.35 per share, which translates to an annualized dividend of $5.40 and a dividend yield of 3.58%. The company's current payout ratio is 119.73%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently altered their positions in Philip Morris International. For instance, Range Financial Group LLC increased its investment in the company by an impressive 504.9% during the fourth quarter, now holding 22,915 shares valued at $2,758,000 after acquiring an additional 19,127 shares. Likewise, Accredited Investors Inc. boosted its stake by 3,553.3% in the third quarter, now holding a total of 206,959 shares worth $25,125,000 after buying 201,294 more shares. Park Avenue Securities LLC also grew its position by 18.9% in the fourth quarter, now owning 100,826 shares valued at $12,134,000 after purchasing an additional 16,035 shares. Other investors, such as CWA Asset Management Group LLC and Kennebec Savings Bank, have also increased or initiated their investments in the company during recent quarters. Currently, institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own around 78.63% of Philip Morris International's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Opinions

Equities research analysts have weighed in on PM shares, with several recent upgrades. Stifel Nicolaus raised its price target from $145.00 to $160.00 while maintaining a “buy” rating. Similarly, JPMorgan Chase & Co. also upped their target price to $160.00 and rated the stock as “overweight.” Conversely, UBS Group raised their target to $120.00, but provided a “sell” rating. Morgan Stanley began coverage with an “overweight” rating at a $140.00 price target. Lastly, Barclays raised its price target from $145.00 to an optimistic $175.00, also giving an “overweight” rating. The consensus among analysts is a “Moderate Buy,” and the average target price is pegged at $144.56.

Philip Morris International Overview

Philip Morris International Inc. is a global tobacco company focused on providing a smoke-free future, evolving its product portfolio beyond traditional tobacco and nicotine. The company’s offerings primarily include cigarettes and smoke-free products, such as heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products mainly under the IQOS and ZYN brands. Additionally, they produce consumer accessories like lighters and matches.

Philip, Morris, Dahlgren