Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) Cut to “Strong Sell” at Zacks Research

Zacks Research lowered shares of Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report released on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on PFE. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Pfizer in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Wolfe Research set a $24.00 target price on Pfizer and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Scotiabank started coverage on shares of Pfizer in a report on Thursday, November 13th. They set a “sector outperform” rating and a $30.00 price target for the company. UBS Group started coverage on shares of Pfizer in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $25.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Pfizer from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, September 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $28.06.

Pfizer Stock Performance

Shares of PFE opened at $25.89 on Monday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $25.45 and a two-hundred day moving average of $25.01. The stock has a market cap of $147.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.05 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 0.97. Pfizer has a one year low of $20.92 and a one year high of $27.69.

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

Pfizer Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.43 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 23rd. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.6%. Pfizer’s dividend payout ratio is 100.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pfizer

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of PFE. Fiduciary Alliance LLC lifted its position in shares of Pfizer by 46.4% during the 3rd quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC now owns 145,263 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $3,701,000 after buying an additional 46,043 shares in the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Pfizer during the third quarter valued at approximately $3,019,000. Vista Investment Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Pfizer by 236.1% during the third quarter. Vista Investment Partners LLC now owns 69,613 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $1,774,000 after acquiring an additional 48,900 shares during the period. Generali Investments CEE investicni spolecnost a.s. boosted its position in Pfizer by 76.4% in the third quarter. Generali Investments CEE investicni spolecnost a.s. now owns 109,269 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $2,784,000 after purchasing an additional 47,319 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH grew its stake in Pfizer by 11.2% in the 3rd quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 1,892,663 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $48,225,000 after purchasing an additional 190,946 shares during the period. 68.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Pfizer News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target on PFE (supportive near-term catalyst that helped shares earlier in the week). Why Is Pfizer Stock Rising Tuesday?
• Positive Sentiment: Some bullish analysts/investors remain confident in Pfizer’s longer-term outlook, arguing recent policy moves don’t change their favorable stance. Pfizer: The Great Healthcare Plan Does Not Change My Bullish Stance
• Neutral Sentiment: Profile pieces and analyst roundups (CEO interview, market commentary) provide context but limited immediate price impact. Pfizer’s CEO on leading after a moonshot—and making deals with Trump
• Neutral Sentiment: Market write-ups note recent outperformance vs. the market on specific days, useful for sentiment tracking but not a structural change. Pfizer (PFE) Exceeds Market Returns: Some Facts to Consider
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded Pfizer from “hold” to “strong sell,” which can trigger selling pressure from momentum/quant strategies and affect sentiment. Zacks Downgrade Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services named Pfizer drugs for the next round of Medicare price negotiations — a material policy risk that could pressure revenue for listed products if negotiated prices are reduced. US Medicare names drugs for next price talks
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings preview commentary warns Q4 results may decline versus expectations, raising the risk of a miss or muted guidance that could weigh on the stock. Earnings Preview: Q4 Earnings Expected to Decline
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive risk: early data from Aclaris shows a hair‑loss candidate outperforming Pfizer’s Litfulo in preclinical/early results, a potential headwind for that franchise. Aclaris hair-loss drug shows faster results
• Negative Sentiment: Broader concerns about leverage and underperformance versus peers (Merck, J&J) keep analysts cautious ahead of secular headwinds like waning COVID product demand and an upcoming patent cliff. Pfizer vs. Merck Stock And JNJ

Pfizer Company Profile

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.