GWN Securities Inc. Buys Shares of 6,038 Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM)

GWN Securities Inc. purchased a new position in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 6,038 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $765,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in PM. Harbour Investments Inc. boosted its position in Philip Morris International by 5.1% during the fourth quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 12,410 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,494,000 after acquiring an additional 605 shares during the last quarter. Centurion Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Centurion Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,229 shares of the company’s stock worth $268,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the period. Ascent Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the fourth quarter worth $327,000. one8zero8 LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International in the fourth quarter valued at $3,133,000. Finally, Choate Investment Advisors increased its stake in Philip Morris International by 122.2% in the fourth quarter. Choate Investment Advisors now owns 8,214 shares of the company’s stock valued at $989,000 after purchasing an additional 4,517 shares during the last quarter. 78.63% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Philip Morris International Price Performance

NYSE:PM opened at $151.95 on Monday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $139.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $130.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $236.26 billion, a PE ratio of 33.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.53. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 12 month low of $87.82 and a 12 month high of $159.51.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) last announced its earnings results 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%. Equities analysts anticipate that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 7.14 EPS for the current year.

Philip Morris International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th will be paid a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.55%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 20th. Philip Morris International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 119.73%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Lars Dahlgren sold 3,679 shares of Philip Morris International 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 owns 26,828 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,103,610.88. The trade was a 12.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Jacek Olczak sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.87, for a total transaction of $5,954,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 547,426 shares in the company, valued at $81,495,308.62. This trade represents a 6.81 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 131,822 shares of company stock worth $19,655,585 in the last quarter. 0.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have issued reports on PM shares. UBS Group raised their price target on Philip Morris International from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price target on the stock. Argus raised shares of Philip Morris International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $144.56.

About Philip Morris International

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.