Versant Capital Management Inc Purchases 1,956 Shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM)

Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) by 119.9% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 3,587 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,956 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc’s holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $569,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. NewSquare Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 53.7% in the 4th quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Philip Morris International in the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. Knuff & Co LLC acquired a new position in Philip Morris International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Ball & Co Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. Institutional investors own 78.63% of the company’s stock.

Philip Morris International Stock Performance

Shares of PM stock opened at $177.79 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $276.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.42, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.50. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 52-week low of $98.93 and a 52-week high of $179.83. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $164.70 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $145.23.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The company reported $1.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $9.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.10 billion. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 120.08% and a net margin of 7.89%. Philip Morris International’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.50 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 7.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 20th were paid a $1.35 dividend. 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 3.04%. Philip Morris International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 111.34%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Philip Morris International

In other Philip Morris International news, insider Lars Dahlgren sold 3,679 shares of the business’s 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 transaction, the insider now directly owns 26,828 shares in the company, valued at $4,103,610.88. The trade was a 12.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on PM. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Philip Morris International from $175.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Needham & Company LLC began coverage on Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Citigroup increased their price target on Philip Morris International from $163.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $182.00 price target (up previously from $156.00) on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $169.20.

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.