Traders Buy Large Volume of Call Options on Pfizer (NYSE:PFE)

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Investors purchased 446,836 call options on the company. This is an increase of 114% compared to the average volume of 208,382 call options.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $26.00 price objective on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Wall Street Zen cut Pfizer from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, September 28th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Pfizer from $32.00 to $28.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Pfizer in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Pfizer currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $27.88.

Pfizer Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of PFE stock opened at $26.09 on Friday. Pfizer has a fifty-two week low of $20.92 and a fifty-two week high of $27.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.28. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $25.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $25.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $148.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.17 and a beta of 0.47.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.87 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $16.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.94 billion. Pfizer had a net margin of 15.65% and a return on equity of 20.17%. Pfizer has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.000-3.150 EPS. Research analysts expect that Pfizer will post 2.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Pfizer Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 6th. Investors of record on Friday, January 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.43 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 23rd. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.6%. Pfizer’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 100.00%.

Institutional Trading of Pfizer

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Pfizer in the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,270,157,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Pfizer by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 533,363,457 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $12,928,730,000 after buying an additional 10,198,330 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in Pfizer by 47.8% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 25,070,148 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $638,787,000 after acquiring an additional 8,108,887 shares during the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC grew its position in Pfizer by 203.8% in the third quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 9,012,811 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $229,346,000 after acquiring an additional 6,045,763 shares during the period. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its stake in Pfizer by 48.2% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 18,373,140 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $468,174,000 after acquiring an additional 5,978,927 shares during the last quarter. 68.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Pfizer News

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unusual bullish options flow: Traders bought roughly 446,836 PFE call options on Thursday — about a 114% jump versus average daily call volume — suggesting speculative or hedged bullish positioning that can lift near-term demand for the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline progress — PF-07248144 drug–interaction study: Pfizer reported a new drug–interaction study for PF-07248144 (Phase 1), signaling steady if quiet clinical advancement that supports medium-term revenue optionality from the pipeline. Pfizer Advances PF-07248144 With New Drug–Interaction Study, Signaling Quiet Pipeline Progress
• Positive Sentiment: Licensing deal with Novavax: Novavax signed a license agreement with Pfizer, which could create near-term commercial or collaborative upside and reduce execution risk relative to a competitor holding exclusive rights. Novavax inks license agreement with Pfizer
• Positive Sentiment: Positive market/coverage notes: Headlines and coverage like Zacks highlighting PFE’s recent outperformance help lift investor sentiment and may attract momentum buyers. Pfizer (PFE) Outperforms Broader Market: What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend narrative: Several retail-focused articles discuss Pfizer’s high yield and dividend appeal; some bullish buy lists include PFE, while deeper pieces debate whether the yield reflects value or fundamental risks — this generates interest but mixed conviction. 3 No-Brainer Dividend Stocks to Buy Right Now — Including Pfizer
• Neutral Sentiment: Value vs. value trap debate: Opinion pieces question whether PFE’s low valuation and dividend are attractive or signal deeper growth and pipeline concerns; this fuels discussion but not a clear directional signal. Is Pfizer an Absurdly Cheap Dividend Stock, or Just a Value Trap?
• Negative Sentiment: Post‑COVID demand and pricing concerns: Analysis questioning Pfizer’s pricing strategy and revenue trajectory after COVID product declines remains a headwind — sustained uncertainty on pricing and end‑market demand can cap upside. Is Pfizer (PFE) Pricing Make Sense After Post Covid Slowdown Concerns

About Pfizer

Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) is a multinational biopharmaceutical company headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1849 by Charles Pfizer and Charles Erhart, the company researches, develops, manufactures and commercializes a broad range of medicines and vaccines for human health. Its activities span discovery research, clinical development, regulatory affairs, manufacturing and global commercial distribution across multiple therapeutic areas.

Pfizer’s portfolio and pipeline cover oncology, immunology, cardiology, endocrinology, rare diseases, hospital acute care and anti-infectives, along with a substantial vaccine business.