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Philip Morris International Inc. (PM) Q4 2024 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Strong Q4 with net revenues $9.706B (+7.3% reported; +7.3% organic) and adjusted diluted EPS $1.55 (+14% YoY), while reported EPS was -$0.38 due to a non-cash $2.3B Canada impairment (−$1.49 EPS) .
  • Smoke-free momentum: smoke-free net revenues $3.887B in Q4 (+9.2%), 40% of total; gross profit $2.626B (+15.1%), ~42% of total gross profit .
  • 2025 guidance: adjusted EPS $7.04–$7.17 (ex-currency $7.26–$7.39); organic net revenue growth ~6–8%; organic OI growth ~10.5–12.5%; Q1 EPS $1.58–$1.63; U.S. ZYN shipments 780–820M cans .
  • Cash and leverage: 2024 operating cash flow $12.217B; net debt/EBITDA improved to 2.66x; targeting ~2x by end-2026 .
  • Catalysts: FDA authorization of all ZYN pouches in U.S., continued IQOS ILUMA adoption, and margin expansion plans offsetting cost headwinds .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

What Went Well

  • IQOS strength: adjusted IMS up ~13% in Q4; Japan Q4 adjusted share rose +3.1pp to 30.6%; multiple EU city share milestones (Rome ~30%, Budapest >40%) .
  • ZYN growth despite constraints: U.S. shipments 165.1M cans in Q4 (+42% YoY); international pouch shipments more than doubled; FDA authorized all current ZYN pouches in U.S. .
  • Margin leverage: adjusted OI margin expanded to 36.3% in Q4 (vs 33.7% last year); smoke-free gross margin ~66.6% for 2024, higher than combustibles, with management targeting continued margin improvement in 2025 .

Quote: “2024 was a remarkable year for PMI… continued growth of IQOS and ZYN in addition to a robust combustibles performance” — CEO Jacek Olczak .

What Went Wrong

  • Reported EPS hit: recorded non-cash impairment of RBH investment ($2.3B; −$1.49 EPS) amid Canadian CCAA plan developments .
  • EU flavor ban drag: Europe’s HTU growth tempered; Italy recovery slower than expected in Q4; further annualization impact expected in Q1 2025 .
  • Ongoing ZYN supply constraints: retail out-of-stocks persisted; normalization targeted in H2 2025; retail pricing variability amid constrained supply .

Financial Results

MetricQ2 2024Q3 2024Q4 2024
Net Revenues ($USD Billions)$9.468 $9.911 $9.706
Adjusted Diluted EPS ($USD)$1.59 $1.91 $1.55
Adjusted Operating Income ($USD Billions)$3.656 $4.153 $3.519
Adjusted Operating Income Margin (%)38.6% 41.9% 36.3%
Gross Profit ($USD Billions)$6.1 $6.5 $6.283

Segment breakdown (Net Revenues, Gross Profit):

Segment MetricQ2 2024Q3 2024Q4 2024
Net Revenues – Smoke-Free incl. W&H ($B)$3.6 $3.8 $3.887
Net Revenues – Combustibles ($B)$5.9 $6.1 $5.819
Gross Profit – Smoke-Free incl. W&H ($B)$2.3 $2.6 $2.626
Gross Profit – Combustibles ($B)$3.8 $3.9 $3.657

KPIs and volumes:

KPIQ2 2024Q3 2024Q4 2024
Total Shipment Volume (units bn)193.162 203.0 193.1
HTU Shipment Volume (units bn)35.544 35.3 35.7
Oral SFP Shipment Volume (units bn; pouch eq.)4.2 4.4 4.6
Cigarette Shipment Volume (units bn)157.618 163.2 152.8
ZYN U.S. Shipments (million cans)135.1 149.1 165.1

Notes:

  • Q4 reported EPS -$0.38 includes RBH impairment (−$1.49); adjusted EPS excludes special items and currency .
  • Q4 organic net revenue growth +7.3%; adjusted OI organic +11.8% .

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
Adjusted Diluted EPS ($)FY 2024$6.45–$6.51 Actual $6.57 Raised vs guidance
Reported Diluted EPS ($)FY 2024$6.20–$6.26 Actual $4.52 (RBH −$1.49) Lower due to impairment
Adjusted Diluted EPS ($)FY 2025N/A$7.04–$7.17 New
Adjusted Diluted EPS ex currency ($)FY 2025N/A$7.26–$7.39 New
Adjusted Diluted EPS ($)Q1 2025N/A$1.58–$1.63 New
Organic Net Revenue Growth (%)FY 2025N/A~6–8% New
Organic Operating Income Growth (%)FY 2025N/A~10.5–12.5% New
U.S. ZYN Shipments (million cans)FY 2025N/A780–820 New
Effective Tax Rate (%)FY 2025N/A~22.5–23.5 New
Operating Cash Flow ($B)FY 2025N/A~$11 New
Capital Expenditures ($B)FY 2025N/A~$1.5 New
Dividend (per share)Current$1.35 (declared) $1.35 Maintained

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q2 & Q3)Current Period (Q4)Trend
IQOS ILUMA adoption & HTU growthQ2: Japan HTU share >29%, adjusted IMS +12.5% ; Q3: adjusted IMS +14.8%, EU reacceleration Q4: adjusted IMS ~13% growth; Japan Q4 adjusted share +3.1pp to 30.6% Sustained double-digit IQOS momentum
EU characterizing flavor ban impactQ2: tempered growth; adjusted IMS +6.8% in Europe ; Q3: Italy recovering, annualization ahead Q4: Italy recovery slower than expected; ~1B unit impact expected in 2025 with larger Q1 effect Near-term headwind, gradual normalization
ZYN supply & FDA authorizationQ2: supply constraints but strong growth ; Q3: U.S. shipments 149.1M cans Q4: U.S. shipments 165.1M; FDA authorized all ZYN currently marketed pouches; supply normalization targeted H2 2025 Regulatory tailwind; capacity ramp ongoing
Margins & cost headwindsQ2: AOI margin 38.6% ; Q3: 41.9% Q4: 36.3%; management targeting robust margin expansion in 2025; COGS headwinds easing Positive margin outlook
Cash flow & leverageQ3: Raised FY outlook 2024 OCF $12.217B; net debt/EBITDA 2.66x; target ~2x by 2026 Accelerated deleveraging

Management Commentary

  • Strategic emphasis: “Our smoke-free business is large, profitable and growing fast… surpassed $10 billion in adjusted net earnings for the first time” — CEO .
  • Regulatory: “The long-awaited U.S. FDA authorization of all ZYN nicotine pouches… evidence of the compelling science supporting smoke-free products” — CEO .
  • 2025 outlook: “We expect another year of strong growth… adjusted diluted EPS growth of +10.5% to +12.5% ex currency” — CFO .

Q&A Highlights

  • Margin expansion drivers and ILUMA U.S.: Pricing, mix shift to smoke-free, easing COGS headwinds; initial U.S. ILUMA investments could be short-term margin negative but expected to be net contributor in 2–3 years; no cannibalization headwind in U.S. .
  • ZYN demand acceleration and retail pricing: Velocities accelerating despite supply constraints; expect retail pricing normalization as supply improves in H2 2025 .
  • EU ban & Poland timing: Italy recovery slower in Q4; Poland implementation likely later in 2025; expect annualization impact concentrated in Q1 2025 .
  • FX hedging detail: ~60% of 2025 JPY exposure hedged at ~JPY138; ~¼ EUR exposure at ~1.12; euro debt provides balance sheet hedge .

Estimates Context

  • Wall Street consensus (S&P Global) was unavailable due to SPGI daily request limit exceeded; therefore, explicit comparisons vs consensus EPS/revenue cannot be provided at this time. Values retrieved from S&P Global were unavailable.*

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • Smoke-free mix expansion continues to drive structural margin and profit growth: Q4 smoke-free net revenues 40% of total; smoke-free gross profit ~42% of total .
  • ZYN is a key U.S. profit driver; FDA authorization de-risks regulatory trajectory; 2025 shipments guided to 780–820M cans, up ~200–240M cans YoY .
  • IQOS ILUMA maintains strong momentum (Japan Q4 adjusted share 30.6%); Europe growth continues with ban annualization expected; multi-category strategy offsets category shifts .
  • Margin outlook constructive: management targets robust 2025 margin expansion with pricing, mix, cost productivity and easing input cost headwinds .
  • Cash generation and deleveraging: 2024 OCF $12.217B and net debt/EBITDA down to 2.66x; path to ~2x by 2026 supports capital return and investment in capacity .
  • Near-term watch items: EU flavor ban annualization in Q1 2025, ZYN supply normalization progress, U.S. ILUMA authorization timing .
  • Dividend remains $1.35 per quarter; ongoing commitment to shareholder returns alongside smoke-free investments .

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