156,350 Shares in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) Acquired by Zweig DiMenna Associates LLC

Zweig DiMenna Associates LLC acquired a new position in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm acquired 156,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,709,000. Philip Morris International accounts for 1.7% of Zweig DiMenna Associates LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest position.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in Philip Morris International in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. PCA Investment Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International during the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International during the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. Legacy Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International during the 3rd quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, VitalStone Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 950.0% during the 2nd quarter. VitalStone Financial LLC now owns 420 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 380 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.63% of the company’s stock.

Philip Morris International Stock Down 0.7 %

NYSE:PM traded down $0.62 on Friday, reaching $89.48. The stock had a trading volume of 5,117,130 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,317,615. The company has a market capitalization of $139.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 0.61. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 1-year low of $87.23 and a 1-year high of $101.92. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $91.41 and a 200-day moving average price of $92.24.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The company reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $9.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 8.53% and a negative return on equity of 116.29%. Philip Morris International’s quarterly revenue was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.39 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Philip Morris International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 21st will be paid a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.81%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 20th. Philip Morris International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 103.59%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on PM shares. Argus restated a “hold” rating on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Tuesday, March 5th. UBS Group downgraded shares of Philip Morris International from a “buy” rating to a “sell” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $105.00 to $86.50 in a report on Tuesday, January 23rd. Finally, Societe Generale upgraded shares of Philip Morris International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $87.50 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $105.40.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Philip Morris International news, VP Reginaldo Dobrowolski sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.69, for a total value of $181,380.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 9,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $882,050.94. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, insider Massimo Andolina sold 8,250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.63, for a total transaction of $772,447.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 94,629 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,860,113.27. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, VP Reginaldo Dobrowolski sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.69, for a total transaction of $181,380.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 9,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $882,050.94. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 15,250 shares of company stock valued at $1,411,128. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

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.