Erste Group Bank Issues Negative Outlook for Pfizer Earnings

Key Points

• Erste Group cut FY2027 EPS for Pfizer slightly from $2.84 to $2.83—below the $2.98 consensus—signaling modest sell‑side caution; shares opened around $26.45 versus a consensus price target near $28.48.
• Dividend appeal but sustainability risk: Pfizer announced a $0.43 quarterly dividend (ex‑dividend May 8) for a 6.5% yield, while the payout ratio sits at a high 126.47%, raising questions about long‑term sustainability.
• Positive pipeline and exclusivity news: A Phase‑3 win for ELREXFIO in multiple myeloma and settlement deals that extend U.S. exclusivity on a heart drug until 2031 bolster longer‑term revenue prospects despite near‑term earnings pressure.

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE - Free Report) - Research analysts at Erste Group Bank dropped their FY2027 earnings estimates for shares of Pfizer in a research report issued on Monday, April 27th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now anticipates that the biopharmaceutical company will post earnings of $2.83 per share for the year, down from their prior estimate of $2.84. The consensus estimate for Pfizer's current full-year earnings is $2.98 per share.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.57 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $17.56 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.93 billion. Pfizer had a net margin of 12.42% and a return on equity of 20.48%. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.63 EPS.

PFE has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Pfizer from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Guggenheim boosted their target price on shares of Pfizer from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Daiwa Securities Group downgraded shares of Pfizer from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $27.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $30.00 target price on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Pfizer from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $28.48.

Pfizer Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of NYSE PFE opened at $26.45 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $150.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.44 and a beta of 0.43. Pfizer has a 52-week low of $21.97 and a 52-week high of $28.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 1.16. The company's 50 day moving average price is $27.20 and its 200-day moving average price is $26.09.

Pfizer Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 8th will be paid a $0.43 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 8th. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.5%. Pfizer's dividend payout ratio is presently 126.47%.

Institutional Trading of Pfizer

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Pfizer by 132.2% in the 1st quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 994 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 566 shares in the last quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC grew its stake 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. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Pfizer in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. YANKCOM Partnership bought a new position in Pfizer during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Pfizer during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Institutional investors own 68.36% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Pfizer

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Phase‑3 win: Pfizer reported positive topline results from the MagnetisMM‑5 trial showing a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression‑free survival for ELREXFIO (elranatamab) in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma — strengthens oncology pipeline and long‑term revenue potential. Pfizer's ELREXFIO Significantly Improves Progression-Free Survival
• Positive Sentiment: Patent/settlement news: Pfizer reached settlement agreements that effectively extend exclusivity for a marketed heart drug in the U.S. until 2031 — delays generic entry and protects mid‑term sales for that franchise. Pfizer secures deals to keep heart drug free of generic rivals until 2031
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend and income appeal: Several outlets continue to highlight Pfizer’s high dividend yield and suitability for income portfolios, which supports baseline investor demand despite shorter‑term volatility. Is Pfizer One of the Best Fortune 500 Dividend Stocks?
• Positive Sentiment: Technical setup: Some scans flagged Pfizer showing an RSI upswing (RSI crossing above 50), suggesting improving short‑term technical momentum that can attract traders. Pfizer among 6 stocks showing bullish RSI upswing
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment mixed: Coverage pieces are debating whether Wall Street remains broadly constructive — helpful for narrative but not an immediate catalyst. Are Wall Street Analysts Bullish on Pfizer Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive landscape: Comparisons with peers (e.g., Novo Nordisk) highlight strategic differences and pressure in some growth areas (obesity, vaccines) — a medium‑term factor investors are watching. Novo Nordisk vs. Pfizer
• Negative Sentiment: Small analyst EPS cut: Erste Group trimmed its FY2027 EPS estimate slightly (from $2.84 to $2.83) — not large but signals some caution among sell‑side models. Erste Group cuts FY2027 EPS estimate
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings pressure: Previews and coverage note Q1 results could show declining earnings versus year‑ago levels, which feeds near‑term selling and profit‑taking ahead of the report. Earnings Preview: Pfizer Q1 Earnings Expected to Decline
• Negative Sentiment: Short‑term selling/positioning: Multiple market writeups attribute today’s dip to profit‑taking, positioning ahead of earnings and mixed headlines — typical trading volatility around catalyst windows. Why Pfizer Dipped Today

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.