Plan Group Financial LLC Buys 978 Shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM)

Plan Group Financial LLC increased its position in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) by 8.3% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 12,704 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 978 shares during the quarter. Philip Morris International makes up approximately 0.8% of Plan Group Financial LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Plan Group Financial LLC’s holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $1,529,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of PM. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. boosted its stake in Philip Morris International by 457.5% during the 3rd quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 223 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares during the last quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 203.8% during the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 240 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in Philip Morris International in the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Concord Wealth Partners raised its position in Philip Morris International by 2,709.1% in the 3rd quarter. Concord Wealth Partners now owns 309 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 298 shares during the last quarter. 78.63% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Reginaldo Dobrowolski sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.88, for a total transaction of $749,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 20,799 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,117,354.12. This represents a 19.38 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Philip Morris International Stock Performance

PM opened at $148.85 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $231.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.55. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $128.31 and its 200 day moving average is $125.73. Philip Morris International Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $87.82 and a fifty-two week high of $151.22.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, beating 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%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 7.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 26th were issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.63%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 26th. Philip Morris International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 119.73%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PM has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Philip Morris International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $155.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company 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. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $141.22.

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.