Natixis Decreases Holdings in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM)

Natixis trimmed its stake in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) by 12.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 487,094 shares of the company’s stock after selling 66,525 shares during the quarter. Natixis’ holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $58,622,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its position in Philip Morris International by 53.7% during the fourth quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the period. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Philip Morris International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Knuff & Co LLC purchased a new position in Philip Morris International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Truvestments Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 113.8% during the fourth quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC now owns 357 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. 78.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Lars Dahlgren sold 3,679 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the insider now directly owns 26,828 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,103,610.88. This represents a 12.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Chairman Andre Calantzopoulos sold 40,643 shares of Philip Morris International stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $149.06, for a total value of $6,058,245.58. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 561,349 shares in the company, valued at approximately $83,674,681.94. The trade was a 6.75 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 131,822 shares of company stock valued at $19,655,585. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on PM shares. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 target price for the company. StockNews.com lowered Philip Morris International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Barclays raised their price target on Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Philip Morris International from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Philip Morris International currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $150.78.

Philip Morris International Stock Performance

PM stock opened at $163.08 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $253.83 billion, a PE ratio of 36.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.46. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $153.80 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $135.92. Philip Morris International Inc. has a one year low of $91.38 and a one year high of $165.00.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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, research analysts predict that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 7.14 EPS for the current year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th were issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.31%. Philip Morris International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 119.73%.

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.