If you are looking for a international stock play with superb management and fabulous shareholder instincts I dare you to find a better candidate than Phillip Morris, symbol PM. This morning they did what they seem to do on a regular basis and that is do something spectacular. The news this morning is a 20% plus dividend increase. The increase from an annual $2.56 to $3.08 is staggering and is wholly comfortable within their profit structure. Add in that the company rewards you with capital gains year in and year out and that just makes this stock so much more delicious. In the last year they have gone from $54 to now $66, and that is down slightly from a over $70 high. I would expect the stock to retake that high soon. Marlboro, their prime product, might be one of the most recognized products on the planet and indeed they sell cigarettes to the Chinese, Japanese, Europeans, and most of the rest of the world. They also are domiciled in Switzerland, where greedy American trial lawyers can not touch them.
PM was spun off from Altria in 2008 as the growth portion of that company and the international wing as well. It was also domiciled in Switzerland for legal purposes and has preformed like a winner ever since the spin off. If you are looking a long term winner for your investment portfolio I could not recommend a stock any higher than PM. Capital gains and rising income, what is not to like. Makes you want to light one right now to celebrate...huh?
I do not own PM either long or as an option, but with this mornings news they offer opportunity to do so.
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