Franklin Resources Inc. Has $626.59 Million Position in Pfizer Inc. $PFE

Key Points

• Franklin Resources increased its Pfizer stake by 0.4% in the fourth quarter, ending with 25.16 million shares worth about $626.6 million. Institutional ownership of Pfizer remains high, with funds and hedge funds holding 68.36% of the stock.
• Pfizer’s pipeline received two notable boosts: Phase 2b obesity-drug data showed roughly 15.9% to 16% weight loss, and the FDA expanded approval of HYMPAVZI for additional hemophilia A and B patient groups, including pediatric patients.
• The stock was down 1.5% and traded around $25.66, while Pfizer also reported quarterly earnings that beat estimates and reiterated FY 2026 EPS guidance of $2.80 to $3.00. The company continues to offer a 6.7% dividend yield, and analysts currently rate the stock a consensus Hold.

Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE - Free Report) by 0.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 25,164,327 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock after buying an additional 94,179 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned 0.44% of Pfizer worth $626,592,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA bought a new position in shares of Pfizer in the third quarter valued at about $16,613,000. Penn Davis Mcfarland Inc. raised its position in shares of Pfizer by 50.9% in the fourth quarter. Penn Davis Mcfarland Inc. now owns 171,332 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $4,266,000 after purchasing an additional 57,777 shares during the period. Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its position in shares of Pfizer by 119.6% in the third quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 3,106,644 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $79,157,000 after purchasing an additional 1,691,773 shares during the period. Pzena Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Pfizer by 0.9% in the third quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 6,615,598 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $168,565,000 after purchasing an additional 56,484 shares during the period. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its position in shares of Pfizer by 48.2% in the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 18,373,140 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $468,174,000 after purchasing an additional 5,978,927 shares during the period. 68.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More Pfizer News

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Pfizer reported encouraging Phase 2b data for its once-monthly obesity drug, showing about 15.9% to 16% weight loss, reinforcing hopes that the company could become a more meaningful player in the fast-growing weight-loss market. Pfizer's obesity drug shows 16% weight loss in phase 2b study
• Positive Sentiment: The U.S. FDA expanded approval of Pfizer’s HYMPAVZI for additional hemophilia A and B patient groups, including pediatric patients, which should widen the drug’s addressable market and support future sales growth. U.S. FDA Approves Pfizer's HYMPAVZI for the Treatment of Two Additional Hemophilia A or B Patient Populations with Significant Medical Need
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity suggests traders are positioning for more upside in PFE, reflecting rising near-term optimism around the company’s pipeline news.
• Neutral Sentiment: Pfizer also presented at Goldman Sachs’ Global Healthcare Conference, but no major new strategic update was highlighted in the available summary. Pfizer Inc. (PFE) Presents at Goldman Sachs 47th Annual Global Healthcare Conference 2026 Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Competition in obesity drugs remains intense, with another company reporting strong weight-loss results, reminding investors that Pfizer will need to keep delivering to compete in this high-profile market. Sciwind Reports 12.8% Weight Loss As Global Expansion Talks Deepen

Pfizer Trading Down 1.5%

Shares of Pfizer stock opened at $25.66 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $146.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.58 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. Pfizer Inc. has a 12-month low of $23.11 and a 12-month high of $28.75. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $26.59 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $26.30.

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 net margin of 11.83% and a return on equity of 19.44%. The firm had revenue of $14.45 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.92 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. Pfizer has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.800-3.000 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Pfizer Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared 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. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 8th. Pfizer's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 131.30%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on PFE. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Pfizer from $27.00 to $26.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Pfizer from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $27.00 price target on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, HSBC raised their price target on shares of Pfizer from $29.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Pfizer currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $28.82.

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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