Roxbury Financial LLC Invests $248,000 in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM)

Roxbury Financial LLC has made a notable investment by acquiring a position in shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) during the fourth quarter of the year. According to the latest filing with the SEC, the institutional investor bought 1,863 shares valued at approximately $248,000.

Changes in Institutional Holdings

Additionally, numerous institutional investors and hedge funds have adjusted their stakes in Philip Morris International. For instance, State Street Corp increased its position by 0.4% in the third quarter, now holding 54,711,621 shares valued at around $6.72 billion after buying 224,840 shares recently. Geode Capital Management LLC also raised its holdings by 2.0% during the same quarter, acquiring an additional 621,034 shares, resulting in total ownership of 32,101,324 shares valued at approximately $3.89 billion. Other investors, such as FMR LLC and Franklin Resources Inc., have also enhanced their stakes significantly, with FMR LLC increasing its holdings by 40.9% and Franklin Resources by 3.0%.

Analysts' Outlook on Philip Morris

Wall Street analysts have shared various opinions about Philip Morris International. For instance, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage with an "overweight" rating and set a price target of $140.00. On the other hand, StockNews.com downgraded the stock from "buy" to "hold." Meanwhile, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its price objective from $125.00 to $145.00, providing an "overweight" rating for the stock. Notably, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target from $145.00 to $160.00, while Barclays adjusted its target down to $145.00 from $155.00. The overall sentiment from analysts appears to be moderately positive, with eight analysts assigning a "buy" rating and one giving a "sell" rating, resulting in an average target price of $139.56 according to MarketBeat.

Philip Morris International's Price Trends

As of the recent trading session, Philip Morris International's shares opened at $150.60. The company's performance indicators show a 50-day moving average of $127.07 and a 200-day average of $124.89. Over the past year, shares reached a low of $87.82 and a high of $151.22. The company's current market capitalization stands at approximately $234.16 billion with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 33.39.

Recent Earnings Results

On February 6th, Philip Morris International announced its earnings results, reporting earnings per share (EPS) of $1.55 for the quarter, which exceeded analysts’ expectations of $1.49 by $0.06. However, the company has been facing challenges, indicated by a negative return on equity of 120.08% and a net margin of 9.24%. For the current fiscal year, analysts project the EPS to be around 7.11.

Dividend Announcements

The company has also recently declared a quarterly dividend of $1.35, paid on January 13th to shareholders recorded by December 26th. This dividend reflects an annualized rate of $5.40, representing a yield of 3.59%. Notably, the dividend payout ratio stands at 119.73%, indicating a significant commitment to returning value to shareholders.

Insider Trading Activity

In terms of insider trading, VP Reginaldo Dobrowolski sold 5,000 shares on February 12th for an average price of $149.88, amounting to a total sale of $749,400. Following this transaction, Dobrowolski retains ownership of 20,799 shares valued at approximately $3.12 million, reflecting a decrease in ownership by 19.38%.

Philip Morris International Overview

Philip Morris International Inc. operates in the tobacco sector, aiming to transition toward a smoke-free future. The company's diverse portfolio primarily includes cigarettes and smoke-free products such as heat-not-burn and vapor products, under brands like IQOS and ZYN, as well as accessories like lighters.

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