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Emmanuel Babeau, the Chief Financial Officer of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM), recently executed significant stock transactions, as disclosed in an SEC filing. The transactions come as Philip Morris shares trade near their 52-week high of $152.53, with the stock delivering an impressive 75.74% return over the past year. On February 20, Babeau sold 30,000 shares of common stock at an average price of $148.85 per share, totaling approximately $4.47 million. This sale was conducted to cover annual Swiss tax obligations.
On a separate note, the filing also reported that on February 19, Babeau disposed of 13,827 shares at $148.74 each, amounting to approximately $2.06 million. This transaction was related to the withholding of shares to satisfy tax obligations connected to the vesting of Restricted Share Units and Performance Stock Units. Following these transactions, Babeau holds 139,105 shares of Philip Morris, which includes 49,020 Restricted Share Units.
In other recent news, Philip Morris International Inc. reported strong financial results, with Citi analysts raising their price target to $163 and maintaining a Buy rating. This adjustment reflects Philip Morris’s robust performance at the end of 2024 and a positive outlook for 2025, with anticipated growth in heated tobacco unit volumes and nicotine pouch volumes. Citi projects an 11.2% increase in organic operating income for fiscal year 2025, within the company’s guidance range. Stifel analysts also raised their price target for Philip Morris to $160, following a 10% growth in earnings per share in constant currency for the fourth quarter. Stifel highlighted the company’s consistent performance and growth in smoke-free products, which contributed to the revised revenue and earnings estimates for 2025.
Additionally, Philip Morris shares saw an uptick after the Trump administration withdrew a proposal to ban menthol cigarettes, a move that would have significantly impacted the tobacco market. The proposal’s withdrawal alleviated regulatory pressures, allowing the company to continue selling menthol cigarettes without the threat of a ban. The market responded positively to this development, as investors viewed it as a reduction in regulatory risk for Philip Morris and its peers. Meanwhile, defensive stocks, including Philip Morris, gained as investors shifted focus from tech stocks due to concerns over China’s DeepSeek AI model.
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