Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) Shares Climb 1.8% – Here’s Why

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) shares rose 1.8% during mid-day trading on Friday. The stock traded as high as $30.67 and last traded at $30.48. Approximately 37,080,873 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 6% from the average session volume of 39,629,590 shares. The stock had previously closed at $29.95.

More Pfizer News

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Pfizer reported that its Phase 3 MagnetisMM-32 trial of ELREXFIO met its primary endpoint in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The result supports another potential growth driver for Pfizer’s oncology portfolio. The FDA also expanded the use of TALZENNA plus XTANDI for certain men with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, increasing the commercial opportunity for the combination. Pfizer cancer trial and FDA approval article
• Positive Sentiment: New real-world data from China showed continued momentum for lorlatinib in lung cancer treatment, potentially reinforcing the drug’s adoption and durability outside clinical-trial settings. Lorlatinib China study article
• Positive Sentiment: Pfizer launched a Phase 1 trial for Alzheimer’s candidate PF-08161842, adding a new early-stage asset to its pipeline. Although the program is years from potential commercialization, it gives investors another source of long-term optionality. PF-08161842 Alzheimer’s trial article
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on Pfizer’s third-quarter earnings report, scheduled for November 3. Attention will center on whether non-COVID products and pipeline progress can offset continuing declines in pandemic-related revenue. Pfizer Q3 earnings outlook article
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts remain cautious ahead of earnings, while commentary highlights that Pfizer’s nearly 6% dividend yield exceeded free cash flow in the prior year. That raises questions about long-term payout coverage, even though the dividend remains attractive to income-focused investors. Pfizer dividend safety article

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on PFE. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Pfizer from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on Pfizer from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating on shares of Pfizer in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Scotiabank upped their target price on shares of Pfizer from $30.00 to $33.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of Pfizer from $27.00 to $26.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Pfizer presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $28.72.

Pfizer Stock Performance

The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $28.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $26.76. The company has a market cap of $173.73 billion, a PE ratio of 40.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 0.96.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.77 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.68 by $0.09. Pfizer had a net margin of 6.80% and a return on equity of 19.63%. The business had revenue of $15.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.40 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.78 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Pfizer has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.800-3.000 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Pfizer Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 6th will be paid a $0.43 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 6th. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.6%. Pfizer’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 226.32%.

Institutional Trading of Pfizer

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in shares of Pfizer by 6.3% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 529,670,433 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $12,754,464,000 after purchasing an additional 31,412,883 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in Pfizer by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 307,090,897 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $7,394,749,000 after purchasing an additional 5,501,032 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in shares of Pfizer by 7.4% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 57,879,546 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $1,393,739,000 after buying an additional 3,999,646 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in shares of Pfizer during the second quarter worth approximately $1,049,602,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Pfizer by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 36,422,799 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,022,606,000 after buying an additional 293,029 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.36% of the company’s stock.

Pfizer Company Profile

Pfizer Inc is a global biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes prescription medicines and vaccines. Its research activities span areas including oncology, internal medicine, inflammation and immunology, hospital care, infectious diseases and rare diseases.

The company’s portfolio includes medicines such as Eliquis, Ibrance, Prevnar and Vyndaqel, as well as vaccines including Comirnaty, Abrysvo and Prevnar. Pfizer also develops treatments through internal research, licensing agreements and collaborations with other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Founded in Brooklyn, New York, in 1849 by Charles Pfizer and Charles Erhart, Pfizer has grown into an international healthcare company serving patients and healthcare providers in markets around the world.