Philip Morris

PM

Market cap $245B

Eight of the top fifteen Barron's Better Bets (BBB) 'Safer' dividend stocks, including Conagra, Altria, and Verizon, are currently attractively priced for income investors. Analyst forecasts project net gains of 18.44% to 29.95% for the top ten BBB Dogs by November 2026, with an average estimated gain of 22.01%. Stocks are considered 'dogs' when their reliable dividends and lower prices result in higher yields; eight of the top ten are already at ideal pricing levels.

Dividend investing isn't just about yield -- payout ratio and growth potential matter too. Several of these companies have increased dividends for decades without interruption.

Altria and Philip Morris advance their smoke-free strategies as each leverages pricing, innovation and cost discipline in a shifting tobacco market.

Overseas Equity ETF posted a return of 7.27% in the third quarter of 2025. Leading contributors in the First Eagle Overseas Equity ETF this quarter included Samsung Electronics Co Ltd Pfd Non-Voting, Alibaba Group, Barrick Mining, Newmont and Prosus N.V. Class N. The leading detractors in the quarter were Shimano, FUCHS SE Pref Registered Shs, SMC Corporation, Haleon and Philip Morris.

PM is upgraded to a "buy" due to strong smoke-free growth and resilient combustible segment performance. PM's smoke-free products now comprise 41.3% of sales, with ZYN, IQOS, and VEEV brands showing robust global momentum and market leadership. Unlike MO, PM continues to grow its top-line in both smoke-free and traditional segments, justifying its valuation premium over peers.

PM's meltdown from recent heights has occurred as expected, with the prior rally occurring too fast, while triggering the impacted dividend investment thesis. This is especially since the previous Zyn supply tightness has triggered its deteriorating volume market share, with the company having to engage on aggressive marketing during recent brand relaunch. PM is finally reasonably valued at estimated 3Y PEG ratio of 1.77x, aided by the richer profit margins and the robust smoke free growth prospects.

STAMFORD, CT--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News: Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE: PM) will host a live webcast of a fireside chat session with Jacek Olczak, Chief Executive Officer, at the 2025 Morgan Stanley Global Consumer & Retail Conference on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at approximately 10:15 a.m. ET. An archived copy of the webcast will be available for six months post-event. The webcast can be accessed here. The webcast may also be accessed on mobile devices by downloading.

Philip Morris International offers strong total return potential, driven by robust growth in its smoke-free portfolio and resilient combustibles business. PM's Q3 2025 results highlight double-digit growth in ZYN, IQOS, and VEEV, expanding margins, and record adjusted EPS, supporting continued outperformance. Despite trading above its historical P/E, PM's earnings acceleration, dividend growth, and high profitability justify a 'Buy' rating for income and growth investors.

Global Equity ETF posted a return of 1.80% in the third quarter of 2025. Leading contributors in the First Eagle Global Equity ETF this quarter included Oracle, Alphabet Inc. Class C, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd Pfd Non-Voting, Barrick Mining and Newmont Corporation. The leading detractors in the quarter were Elevance Health, Philip Morris, Shimano, Comcast Corporation Class A and Salesforce.

In the Core Value category, our biggest detractors were Baxter International (BAX) and Philip Morris International (PM). Another decliner was Kerry (KRYAY), the largest food and beverage ingredients company globally, which we classify as a Dividend Growth name. On the positive side, top performers included Polaris (PII), nVent Electric (NVT) and Lam Research (LRCX).