Investors Buy High Volume of Call Options on Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM)

Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Stock investors bought 114,602 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 999% compared to the typical volume of 10,426 call options.

Philip Morris International Trading Down 4.0%

PM stock traded down $6.96 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $165.87. The company had a trading volume of 4,662,513 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,441,156. The stock has a market cap of $258.21 billion, a PE ratio of 22.82, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.38. The business has a 50-day moving average of $176.88 and a 200-day moving average of $164.23. Philip Morris International has a one year low of $142.11 and a one year high of $191.30.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 12.09% and a negative return on equity of 130.95%. The firm had revenue of $10.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.40 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.55 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. Philip Morris International has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.800-1.850 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 8.380-8.530 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Philip Morris International will post 7.14 EPS for the current year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 13th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 19th will be issued a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 19th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.5%. Philip Morris International’s payout ratio is presently 80.88%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on PM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Philip Morris International from $190.00 to $185.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $205.00 target price on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $205.00 price target on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Philip Morris International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $220.00 to $180.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Philip Morris International from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $196.83.

Insider Transactions at Philip Morris International

In related news, CEO Jacek Olczak sold 80,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.18, for a total transaction of $14,574,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 632,344 shares in the company, valued at $115,200,429.92. This represents a 11.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Emmanuel Babeau sold 33,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $181.61, for a total value of $6,138,418.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 164,463 shares in the company, valued at approximately $29,868,125.43. This trade represents a 17.05% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Philip Morris International

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Traub Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Philip Morris International in the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. AG Campbell Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 1,677.8% during the 3rd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 160 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 151 shares during the period. Portfolio Resources Advisor Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Estabrook Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International in the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. 78.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Philip Morris International Company Profile

Philip Morris International Inc (NYSE: PM) is a global tobacco company that manufactures and sells cigarettes, other nicotine-containing products and a growing portfolio of smoke-free alternatives for adult smokers. The firm traces its corporate roots to the 19th century Philip Morris enterprise and was established as an independent, publicly traded company following a 2008 separation from what is now Altria. Since the spin-off, the company has focused on serving international markets outside the United States.

PMI’s product mix includes traditional combustible cigarettes as well as smoke-free offerings such as heated tobacco systems and other reduced-risk products.