Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Grows Holdings in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM)

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) by 2.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,113,991 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 63,244 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned approximately 0.20% of Philip Morris International worth $374,769,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. increased its position in Philip Morris International by 457.5% in the 3rd quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 223 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares during the period. Dunhill Financial LLC grew its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 203.8% in the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 240 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares during the last quarter. Concord Wealth Partners increased its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 2,709.1% in the third quarter. Concord Wealth Partners now owns 309 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 298 shares during the period. Asset Dedication LLC raised its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 55.5% during the fourth quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 412 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the third quarter worth $54,000. 78.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Philip Morris International Stock Performance

PM opened at $145.41 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $226.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.08, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.55. Philip Morris International Inc. has a one year low of $87.82 and a one year high of $146.78. The business’s fifty day moving average is $125.17 and its two-hundred day moving average is $123.46.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.06. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 10.35% and a negative return on equity of 117.94%. On average, analysts predict that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Philip Morris International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 26th were paid a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 26th. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.71%. Philip Morris International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 85.71%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have issued reports on PM. Stifel Nicolaus reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $145.00 price objective (up from $138.00) on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Philip Morris International from $125.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Philip Morris International from $155.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. UBS Group boosted their target price on Philip Morris International from $103.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Philip Morris International in a report on Thursday, January 16th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price target for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $131.35.

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.