Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) Given Average Rating of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Pfizer has a consensus “Hold” rating from 21 analysts: 14 holds, four buys, one strong buy and two sells. The average 12-month price target is approximately $28.28.
• Pfizer exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting adjusted earnings of $0.77 per share versus the $0.68 consensus and revenue of $15.03 billion versus $14.40 billion expected.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.43 per share, equivalent to $1.72 annually and a 6.0% yield; however, its payout ratio is elevated at 226.32%.

Shares of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE - Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the twenty-one research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have given a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $28.2778.

A number of equities research analysts have commented on PFE shares. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $27.00 price target on shares of Pfizer in a report on Monday, July 6th. HSBC lowered Pfizer from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $32.00 to $28.00 in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Guggenheim decreased their target price on Pfizer from $35.00 to $31.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 7th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on Pfizer from $34.00 to $30.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Pfizer from $30.00 to $28.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th.

Pfizer Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE PFE opened at $28.53 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $162.60 billion, a PE ratio of 37.54 and a beta of 0.34. Pfizer has a 1 year low of $23.58 and a 1 year high of $28.75. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $25.39 and a 200-day moving average price of $26.27. 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 - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.77 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.68 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $15.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.40 billion. Pfizer had a net margin of 6.80% and a return on equity of 19.63%. Pfizer's revenue for the quarter was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.78 EPS. Pfizer has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.800-3.000 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Pfizer will post 2.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Pfizer Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be issued a $0.43 dividend. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. Pfizer's payout ratio is 226.32%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pfizer

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of PFE. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Pfizer during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Keb Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pfizer during the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Field & Main Bank bought a new stake in shares of Pfizer in the second quarter worth about $27,000. HFM Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Pfizer by 61.0% in the fourth quarter. HFM Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,127 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 427 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Pfizer by 132.2% in the first quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 994 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 566 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.36% of the company's stock.

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.

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