Short Interest in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) Decreases By 28.1%

Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) saw a large decrease in short interest in the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 7,160,000 shares, a decrease of 28.1% from the January 15th total of 9,960,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 5,320,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.3 days. Currently, 0.5% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Philip Morris International Trading Up 1.0 %

NYSE:PM traded up $1.42 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $150.60. 4,777,665 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,552,923. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $127.47 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $125.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $234.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.55. Philip Morris International has a 1 year low of $87.82 and a 1 year high of $151.22.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) 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 9.24%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Philip Morris International will post 7.11 EPS for the current year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 26th were paid a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.59%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 26th. Philip Morris International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 119.73%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on PM shares. Barclays lowered their price target on Philip Morris International from $155.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com lowered Philip Morris International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Philip Morris International from $125.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on Philip Morris International in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price objective on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $139.56.

Insider Transactions at Philip Morris International

In related news, VP Reginaldo Dobrowolski sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.88, for a total transaction of $749,400.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 20,799 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,117,354.12. This represents a 19.38 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Philip Morris International

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 15.7% in the fourth quarter. Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors LLC now owns 3,532 shares of the company’s stock valued at $425,000 after acquiring an additional 479 shares in the last quarter. Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co grew its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 4.9% during the fourth quarter. Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co now owns 18,328 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,206,000 after buying an additional 850 shares during the last quarter. DoubleLine ETF Adviser LP grew its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. DoubleLine ETF Adviser LP now owns 37,223 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,480,000 after buying an additional 969 shares during the last quarter. Hutner Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 10.0% during the fourth quarter. Hutner Capital Management Inc. now owns 76,790 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,242,000 after buying an additional 7,012 shares during the last quarter. Finally, South Plains Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Philip Morris International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Institutional investors own 78.63% of the company’s stock.

Philip Morris International Company 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.