Howe & Rusling Inc. Reduces Stake in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM)

Howe & Rusling Inc. lessened its position in shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) by 2.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 135,041 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,087 shares during the quarter. Philip Morris International accounts for 1.4% of Howe & Rusling Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Howe & Rusling Inc.’s holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $16,252,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of PM. NewSquare Capital LLC grew 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 valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the period. Dunhill Financial LLC boosted its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 203.8% during the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 240 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 161 shares during the last quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Knuff & Co LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International in the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in Philip Morris International in the 4th quarter worth $37,000. Institutional investors own 78.63% of the company’s stock.

Philip Morris International Stock Performance

PM opened at $154.27 on Thursday. Philip Morris International Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $87.82 and a fifty-two week high of $159.51. The company has a fifty day moving average of $144.45 and a 200 day moving average of $131.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $239.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.21, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.53.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.06. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 7.89% and a negative return on equity of 120.08%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 7.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Philip Morris International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be given a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 20th. Philip Morris International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 119.73%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on PM. StockNews.com lowered Philip Morris International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Philip Morris International from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Argus upgraded shares of Philip Morris International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock 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 assigned a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $144.56.

Insider Activity

In other Philip Morris International news, SVP Yann Guerin sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.28, for a total value of $378,200.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 30,308 shares in the company, valued at $4,584,994.24. This trade represents a 7.62 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Reginaldo Dobrowolski sold 5,000 shares of the company’s 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 20,799 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,117,354.12. The trade was a 19.38 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 131,822 shares of company stock valued at $19,655,585. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.