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Andre Calantzopoulos, Chairman of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM), a $239 billion tobacco giant trading near its 52-week high of $152.53, recently sold a significant portion of his holdings in the company. According to InvestingPro data, PM has delivered an impressive 75% return over the past year. According to a Form 4 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Calantzopoulos sold 40,643 shares of common stock on February 20, 2025, at an average price of $149.06 per share, resulting in a total transaction value of approximately $6.06 million. The shares were sold to cover annual Swiss tax obligations.
In a separate transaction on February 19, 2025, Calantzopoulos disposed of 23,668 shares at a price of $148.74 each to satisfy tax obligations related to the vesting of Performance Stock Units. This transaction was valued at $3.52 million.
Following these transactions, Calantzopoulos holds 561,349 shares directly. Additionally, 398,412 shares are indirectly owned by his spouse, though he disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities.
In other recent news, Philip Morris International has seen several key developments. The company reported a strong finish to 2024 with a 10% growth in earnings per share to $1.55, which exceeded expectations and was supported by a 7% increase in organic sales. Citi analysts raised their price target for Philip Morris to $163, maintaining a Buy rating, citing robust revenue and margin growth in both combustible and smokeless products. Stifel also increased its price target to $160, reflecting confidence in the company’s smoke-free product growth and financial health.
Philip Morris has provided an optimistic outlook for 2025, projecting 6-8% organic sales growth and a 10.5-12.5% increase in earnings per share on a constant currency basis. The company anticipates heated tobacco unit volume growth of 10-12% and has set guidance for U.S. nicotine pouch volumes at 780-820 million cans. Additionally, shares of Philip Morris rose by 1% following the withdrawal of a proposed menthol cigarette ban by the Trump administration, a move that alleviates regulatory pressures on the company. This decision was seen positively by investors, as it removes a significant potential market disruption.
Overall, the recent analyst upgrades and regulatory developments underscore the market’s confidence in Philip Morris’s growth trajectory and strategic direction.
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