Pfizer Inc. (PFE) - What Are Researchers Thinking About This Stock?

Key Points

• Analysts remain cautious: Twenty-one brokerages give Pfizer a consensus “Hold” rating, with an average 12-month price target of $28.72—below the reported share price of $29.22.
• Recent results exceeded expectations: Pfizer reported quarterly EPS of $0.77 versus the $0.68 consensus and revenue of $15.03 billion, while guiding to fiscal 2026 EPS of $2.80–$3.00.
• Income and pipeline support investor interest, but risks remain: Pfizer declared a $0.43 quarterly dividend, implying a roughly 5.9% yield, while advancing vaccine and drug-development programs; however, its payout ratio above earnings and reliance on pipeline execution raise sustainability concerns.

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE - Get Free Report) has received a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the twenty-one brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, fourteen have issued a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $28.72.

PFE has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Pfizer from $27.00 to $26.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 10th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on Pfizer from $34.00 to $30.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Wall Street Zen lowered Pfizer from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, October 10th. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective on Pfizer from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Pfizer from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Monday, August 31st.

Pfizer Price Performance

Shares of Pfizer stock opened at $29.22 on Thursday. Pfizer has a twelve month low of $23.62 and a twelve month high of $29.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $27.88 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $26.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $166.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.32.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.68 by $0.09. Pfizer had a net margin of 6.80% and a return on equity of 19.63%. The firm had revenue of $15.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.40 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.78 EPS. 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. Analysts forecast that Pfizer will post 2.95 EPS for the current year.

Pfizer Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 7th. Investors of record on Friday, November 6th will be paid a $0.43 dividend. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 6th. Pfizer's payout ratio is 226.32%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pfizer

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. increased its position in Pfizer by 6.3% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 529,670,433 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $12,754,464,000 after acquiring an additional 31,412,883 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Pfizer by 1.8% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 307,090,897 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $7,394,749,000 after acquiring an additional 5,501,032 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in shares of Pfizer by 7.4% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 57,879,546 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $1,393,739,000 after acquiring an additional 3,999,646 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in shares of Pfizer in the 2nd quarter worth about $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 worth $1,022,606,000 after acquiring an additional 293,029 shares during the last quarter. 68.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Pfizer

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Pfizer said it will present data from more than 50 abstracts at IDWeek 2026, including updates on its Lyme vaccine, next-generation pneumococcal vaccine, RSV and COVID-19 programs. The breadth of the upcoming data could reinforce confidence in Pfizer’s infectious-disease pipeline. Pfizer Showcases Clinical Advancements Across Infectious Diseases at IDWeek 2026
• Positive Sentiment: A next-generation pneumococcal vaccine has entered a key Phase 3 trial, potentially expanding Pfizer’s future vaccine revenue opportunities. Pfizer’s Next-Gen Pneumococcal Shot Enters Key Phase 3 Test
• Positive Sentiment: Pfizer entered a research collaboration and licensing agreement with Enodia Therapeutics to discover and develop Sec61-targeting small molecules. The deal adds another external innovation program to Pfizer’s pipeline, although commercial benefits are likely years away. Enodia Therapeutics Announces Research Collaboration and License Agreement with Pfizer
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity and recent purchases by several Pfizer insiders may have supported bullish trading sentiment. Investors are also attracted to the roughly 6% dividend yield and the declared quarterly dividend of $0.43 per share.
• Neutral Sentiment: Pfizer’s latest reported quarter exceeded earnings and revenue expectations, and management’s 2026 EPS guidance is $2.80–$3.00. However, the company’s outlook remains dependent on pipeline execution and replacing pandemic-related revenue declines.
• Negative Sentiment: The dividend’s sustainability remains a concern: commentary highlighted a payout ratio above reported earnings, while several analyst price targets cluster between $25 and $28—below the current share price. This could limit upside despite the attractive income yield.

Pfizer Company Profile

Pfizer Inc NYSE: PFE is a global biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes prescription medicines and vaccines. Its research and commercial activities focus on areas including oncology, inflammation and immunology, internal medicine, hospital care and vaccines.

The company's portfolio includes widely used products such as the Prevnar family of pneumococcal vaccines, Ibrance for certain breast cancers, Eliquis for preventing blood clots, Xeljanz for inflammatory conditions, and Vyndaqel for transthyretin amyloidosis.

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