Have Insiders Sold Philip Morris International Shares Recently?

We wouldn't blame Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that Andre Calantzopoulos, the Executive Chairman of the Board recently netted about US$8.6m selling shares at an average price of US$90.23. However, it's crucial to note that they remain very much invested in the stock and that sale only reduced their holding by 8.6%.

Check out our latest analysis for Philip Morris International

Philip Morris International Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent sale by Andre Calantzopoulos is the biggest insider sale of Philip Morris International shares that we've seen in the last year. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even slightly below the current price of US$91.56. We generally consider it a negative if insiders have been selling, especially if they did so below the current price, because it implies that they considered a lower price to be reasonable. Please do note, however, that sellers may have a variety of reasons for selling, so we don't know for sure what they think of the stock price. This single sale was just 8.6% of Andre Calantzopoulos's stake.

In the last year Philip Morris International insiders didn't buy any company stock. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

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Does Philip Morris International Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It's great to see that Philip Morris International insiders own 0.1% of the company, worth about US$197m. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

So What Do The Philip Morris International Insider Transactions Indicate?

Insiders sold Philip Morris International shares recently, but they didn't buy any. Looking to the last twelve months, our data doesn't show any insider buying. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. When we did our research, we found 3 warning signs for Philip Morris International (2 don't sit too well with us!) that we believe deserve your full attention.

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For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.