Canal Insurance CO Acquires 160,000 Shares of Pfizer Inc. $PFE

Key Points

• Canal Insurance CO boosted its Pfizer stake by 40% in Q4, purchasing an additional 160,000 shares to hold 560,000 shares worth $13.94M (about 3.4% of its portfolio); institutional investors now own 68.36% of PFE.
• Pfizer beat Q1 estimates, reporting $0.75 EPS versus $0.72 expected and $14.45B revenue versus $13.84B, and reaffirmed FY2026 guidance of 2.80–3.00 EPS.
• Pfizer announced a quarterly dividend of $0.43 (annualized yield ~6.5%), while analysts maintain a consensus "Hold" rating with an average target price of $28.74.

Canal Insurance CO increased its holdings in shares of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE - Free Report) by 40.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 560,000 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock after purchasing an additional 160,000 shares during the period. Pfizer makes up 3.4% of Canal Insurance CO's portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest position. Canal Insurance CO's holdings in Pfizer were worth $13,944,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of PFE. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in Pfizer by 47.8% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 25,070,148 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $638,787,000 after acquiring an additional 8,108,887 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Pfizer by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 541,346,182 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $13,479,520,000 after acquiring an additional 7,031,162 shares in the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC lifted its stake in Pfizer by 203.8% in the 3rd quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 9,012,811 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $229,346,000 after acquiring an additional 6,045,763 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its stake in Pfizer by 48.2% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 18,373,140 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $468,174,000 after acquiring an additional 5,978,927 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Pfizer by 120.9% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 9,505,615 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $230,986,000 after acquiring an additional 5,202,884 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.36% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Pfizer from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. UBS Group boosted their target price on Pfizer from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Bank of America cut their target price on Pfizer from $27.00 to $26.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Guggenheim boosted their target price on Pfizer from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group cut Pfizer from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $27.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $28.74.

Pfizer Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of Pfizer stock opened at $26.48 on Friday. Pfizer Inc. has a 12-month low of $21.97 and a 12-month high of $28.75. The stock has a market cap of $150.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.21 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The business's 50 day moving average is $27.14 and its 200-day moving average is $26.16.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.72 by $0.03. Pfizer had a return on equity of 19.44% and a net margin of 11.83%.The company had revenue of $14.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $13.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.92 EPS. The business's revenue was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Pfizer has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.800-3.000 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Pfizer Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.43 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 8th. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.5%. Pfizer's dividend payout ratio is currently 131.30%.

Pfizer News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and guidance reaffirmed: Pfizer reported better-than-expected Q1 revenue and EPS and reiterated FY2026 guidance, reinforcing the company's transition beyond pandemic-driven sales and supporting near-term earnings visibility. How Pfizer’s Q1 Beat, Oncology Wins and Patent Deals At Pfizer (PFE) Has Changed Its Investment Story
• Positive Sentiment: Oncology momentum: Recent FDA approval (VEPPANU) and positive Phase 3 data (ELREXFIO) bolster Pfizer's oncology franchise, which is a key driver of longer-term growth and valuation upside. Pfizer Oncology Advances Raise New Questions For Valuation And Momentum
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend credibility restored: Coverage highlighting management's actions has reduced concerns about Pfizer being a yield trap, supporting investor confidence in the roughly 6.5% yield. Pfizer's 6.5% Dividend Yield Looked Too Good to Be True -- but Management Just Silenced the Skeptics
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual call buying: Large intraday options activity — ~254,818 calls (≈84% above normal daily call volume) — signals some traders are taking bullish, leveraged positions that could amplify upside moves if news flows remain positive.
• Neutral Sentiment: Lyme vaccine dosing trial update: A new fifth‑dose VLA15 trial was announced; it signals ongoing R&D optimization but outcome/timing uncertainty limits immediate stock impact. Pfizer’s Next Lyme Shot: What a Fifth-Dose VLA15 Trial Signals for PFE Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst views and valuation debate: Analysts differ on PFE's forward momentum and valuation after Q1 — that keeps sentiment mixed and may limit large directional moves until clearer catalysts arrive. Analysts Have Conflicting Sentiments on These Healthcare Companies: Pfizer (PFE) and Compass Therapeutics (CMPX)
• Negative Sentiment: Trial termination trims oncology upside: Pfizer ended a Phase 1b/2 lymphoma combo trial, removing a small piece of future oncology optionality and introducing modest near-term disappointment for pipeline bulls. Pfizer Ends Early-Stage Lymphoma Combo Trial, Trimming a Small Piece of Its Oncology Upside

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.

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