Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) Sets New 52-Week High After Analyst Upgrade

Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday after Needham & Company LLC raised their price target on the stock from $190.00 to $205.00. Needham & Company LLC currently has a buy rating on the stock. Philip Morris International traded as high as $187.07 and last traded at $186.9530, with a volume of 1265751 shares. The stock had previously closed at $182.69.

PM has been the subject of several other research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Philip Morris International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $200.00 target price on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on shares of Philip Morris International from $220.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 17th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Philip Morris International has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $194.06.

Key Philip Morris International News

Here are the key news stories impacting Philip Morris International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company extends growth outlook as smoke‑free transition accelerates — management signaled stronger medium‑term growth tied to accelerated adoption of smoke‑free products, which supports the firm’s 2026 guidance and investor confidence. Philip Morris International Extends Growth Outlook As Smoke Free Shift Accelerates
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade and higher price target — Needham raised its price target to $205 and reiterated a buy rating, signaling upside from current levels and providing fresh analyst support. Needham price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: Morning commentary highlights a solid 2026 outlook — bullish analyst pieces argue PM combines steady cash flow with growth from smoke‑free products, offering a defensive growth profile attractive to investors. With a Solid 2026 Outlook, Is It Time to Buy Philip Morris International?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor access event scheduled (CAGNY) — management (CEO & CFO) will present at the CAGNY conference on Feb 18; the webcast gives analysts a forum for detailed questions on guidance and smoke‑free progress, which can reduce uncertainty. Philip Morris International to Present at 2026 CAGNY Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: High institutional ownership and sector positioning — institutional holders own ~83% of float, which can stabilize shares but also concentrate selling pressure; sector comparisons show PM has outperformed some staples peers YTD. 83% ownership article
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative performance analysis available — market commentary compares PM to consumer staples peers, useful for portfolio positioning but unlikely to move the stock alone. Zacks sector comparison
• Negative Sentiment: India maintains e‑cigarette ban, blocking heat‑not‑burn market expansion — New Delhi’s decision to keep its e‑cigarette ban prevents PM from selling heated tobacco products in a large market, representing a meaningful near‑term lost growth opportunity and a regulatory risk reminder. India sticks to e-cigarette ban in snub for Philip Morris India keeps its e-cigarette ban in a blow to Philip Morris Philip Morris CEO calls India’s e-cigarette ban ’illogical’

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 52.2% during the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 129,632 shares of the company’s stock valued at $20,793,000 after buying an additional 44,441 shares during the period. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC grew its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 12,974 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,081,000 after acquiring an additional 589 shares during the period. Mitchell Mcleod Pugh & Williams Inc. raised its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Mitchell Mcleod Pugh & Williams Inc. now owns 9,829 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,577,000 after acquiring an additional 265 shares in the last quarter. Smithbridge Asset Management Inc. DE bought a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $321,000. Finally, M Holdings Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in Philip Morris International in the fourth quarter worth $1,651,000. 78.63% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Philip Morris International Stock Up 2.0%

The firm has a market cap of $290.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 0.39. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $165.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $161.96.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) last released its earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The company reported $1.70 earnings per share 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 period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.55 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 7.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Philip Morris International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 14th. Investors of record on Friday, December 26th were paid a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.2%. Philip Morris International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 80.88%.

About Philip Morris International

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.