The Latest Thing Philip Morris International Shareholders Should Worry About
When Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM) first became an independent publicly traded company, one of the reasons why investors were excited about the global tobacco giant was that by separating from its former parent, it would avoid the regulatory scrutiny that U.S. tobacco companies have labored under for decades. As it happened, though, Philip Morris has had to deal with plenty of regulatory issues of its own. The complex web of different enforcement and regulatory frameworks across countries poses a constant challenge to the company. Recent action from the Indian government is just one example of the threat that changing attitudes toward tobacco could have on future financial performance.
The latest issue for Philip Morris arose just last week. An investigative report revealed internal Philip Morris documents discussing the way in which it markets Marlboro cigarettes. Of particular note were advertisements in tobacco shops and the distribution of complimentary cigarettes at bars and nightclubs within India. By doing so, according to India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Philip Morris is allegedly violating national law and various rules propagated under that law, specifically targeting the younger consumers who visit those establishments most frequently.
Image source: Getty Images.
Source: Fool.com
Philip Morris International Stock
We see a rather positive sentiment for Philip Morris International with 10 Buy predictions and 1 Sell predictions.
On the other hand, the target price of 108 € is below the current price of 111.12 € for Philip Morris International, so the potential is actually -2.81%.