Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) Stock Price Up 4.1% Following Earnings Beat

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE)’s stock price was up 4.1% on Wednesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as high as $26.98 and last traded at $26.83. Approximately 82,056,614 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 55% from the average daily volume of 52,894,664 shares. The stock had previously closed at $25.77.

The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.09. Pfizer had a net margin of 12.42% and a return on equity of 20.25%. The business had revenue of $17.56 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.93 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.63 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis.

Pfizer Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 6th. Investors of record on Friday, January 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.43 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 23rd. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.4%. Pfizer’s dividend payout ratio is currently 126.47%.

Key Stories Impacting Pfizer

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat — Pfizer reported stronger‑than‑expected Q4 revenue and adjusted EPS, which underpinned the rally and reassures investors that legacy drugs (like Eliquis) are offsetting COVID declines. Reuters: Pfizer beats fourth-quarter profit estimates
• Positive Sentiment: GLP‑1 mid‑stage success — topline VESPER‑3 data for MET‑097i (monthly injectable) showed up to ~12.3% placebo‑adjusted weight loss and maintained weight loss after switching from weekly to monthly dosing, giving Pfizer a credible entrant in the high‑growth obesity market. Reuters: Pfizer’s experimental drug shows up to 12.3% weight loss
• Positive Sentiment: Longer‑term catalysts — analysts and commentators highlight Pfizer’s expanded oncology portfolio (including Seagen assets) and AI partnerships as multi‑year growth drivers that could meaningfully re‑rate the stock if late‑stage trials succeed. MarketBeat: Pfizer earnings & pipeline analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst stance is cautious — major firms (Goldman, Citi and others) are largely Neutral/Hold with price targets near the current level, reflecting upside from the pipeline but offset by near‑term headwinds. InsiderMonkey: Goldman Sachs maintains Neutral on Pfizer TipRanks: Citi Hold commentary
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance and margin pressure — Pfizer reiterated FY‑2026 guidance that implies EPS of ~$2.80–3.00 (around or slightly below consensus) and flagged near‑term profit declines, which keeps investors cautious on 2026 growth and margins. BusinessWire: Pfizer reaffirms 2026 guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Structural revenue headwinds — declining COVID product sales, patent‑cliff impacts and an expected ~$1.5B hit in coming periods were cited by analysts as reasons the stock can lag despite beats. FT: vaccines and patent pressures weigh on sales
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed investor reaction to obesity data — some coverage flagged safety/signal questions and that Pfizer’s monthly dosing may still face tough competition from established GLP‑1 leaders (Lilly, Novo); that uncertainty contributed to earlier share weakness. MSN: mixed response to weight‑loss data
• Negative Sentiment: Program shifts — Pfizer and partners have paused certain modRNA shingles ambitions, showing the company is re‑prioritizing pipeline choices; such changes can be seen as conservative but remove near‑term optionality. TipRanks: Pfizer/BioNTech pause modRNA shingles ambitions

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PFE has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Scotiabank assumed coverage on Pfizer in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. They set a “sector outperform” rating and a $30.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Pfizer from $32.00 to $28.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $26.00 price target on shares of Pfizer in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Pfizer from $29.00 to $28.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $28.06.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pfizer

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of PFE. Horizon Financial Services LLC raised its position in shares of Pfizer by 174.8% in the 4th quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC now owns 1,014 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 645 shares in the last quarter. Curio Wealth LLC grew its stake in Pfizer by 36,600.0% in the second quarter. Curio Wealth LLC now owns 1,101 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 1,098 shares during the period. YANKCOM Partnership bought a new position in Pfizer in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Harbor Asset Planning Inc. purchased a new position in Pfizer during the second quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Pfizer during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. 68.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Pfizer Stock Up 4.1%

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 50-day moving average price is $25.57 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $25.07. The stock has a market capitalization of $152.55 billion, a PE ratio of 19.73 and a beta of 0.47.

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.