Philip Morris' third-quarter 2024 results reflect robust momentum across all regions and product categories. Management raises guidance for 2024.
Although the revenue and EPS for Philip Morris (PM) give a sense of how its business performed in the quarter ended September 2024, it might be worth considering how some key metrics compare with Wall Street estimates and the year-ago numbers.
Quarterly reports from Dow component 3M Co (NYSE:MMM) and Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) are in focus this morning.
Philip Morris (PM) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.91 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.83 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.67 per share a year ago.
Philip Morris International raised its annual profit forecast after beating third-quarter estimates on Tuesday, betting on higher prices and resilient demand for its heated tobacco products and ZYN nicotine pouches.
Philip Morris is expected to see healthy EPS growth in the upcoming results, even as revenue growth can soften. But it's hard to make a short-to-medium term Buy case for it considering its strong price gains so far this year. The stock's market multiples are uncomfortably high right now, and with market's prospects looking not-too-bad for Q4 2024, a swing towards defensives appears unlikely.
Philip Morris' Q3 results are likely to reflect gains from pricing and strength in smoke-free products, especially IQOS and ZYN.
Philip Morris is shifting from cigarettes to smokeless products like Zyn, driving growth and justifying a continued strong buy. The company's new Colorado factory and $800 million investment highlight the unprecedented demand for Zyn and show it's a once in a generation opportunity. Analysts project strong EPS and revenue growth, with Zyn's popularity potentially leading to even higher estimates.
Looking beyond Wall Street's top -and-bottom-line estimate forecasts for Philip Morris (PM), delve into some of its key metrics to gain a deeper insight into the company's potential performance for the quarter ended September 2024.
Philip Morris has outperformed the S&P 500 with a 32% YTD return, driven by strong sales of HTUs and ZYN nicotine pouches. Despite this performance, the stock trades at a 24% valuation discount to SPY. Analysts expect Q3 revenue of $9.69 billion and $1.82 non-GAAP EPS, with Philip Morris historically beating estimates 80% of the time or more over the last 5 years.
PM is set to enhance its leadership position on the 'moving beyond smoking' front. PM is increasing its activity in the US, which is likely to hurt competition, including MO. The Company outpaces other players, setting the stage with IQOS launch and increasing ZYN manufacturing capacity in the US to accomplish the goal of reaching a 10% market share.
Philip Morris (PM) has an impressive earnings surprise history and currently possesses the right combination of the two key ingredients for a likely beat in its next quarterly report.