Pfizer Inc. $PFE Position Lifted by Fifth Third Bancorp

Key Points

• Fifth Third Bancorp increased its Pfizer stake by 75.1% in the first quarter, ending with 4.54 million shares valued at about $127.4 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: several firms have kept neutral/hold views, and the consensus rating on Pfizer is currently Hold with an average price target of $28.56.
• Pfizer got a positive boost from recent news, including FDA approval of PADCEV plus Keytruda for muscle-invasive bladder cancer and other oncology pipeline updates, even as some commentary still questions its growth outlook.

Fifth Third Bancorp grew its stake in shares of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE - Free Report) by 75.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,536,233 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,945,958 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp owned about 0.08% of Pfizer worth $127,377,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of PFE. Horizon Financial Services LLC grew its stake in Pfizer by 174.8% in the fourth quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC now owns 1,014 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 645 shares in the last quarter. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Pfizer during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. YANKCOM Partnership bought a new position in Pfizer during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. HFM Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Pfizer by 61.0% in the 4th quarter. HFM Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,127 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 427 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings 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 valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 566 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.36% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Bank of America reduced their price objective on Pfizer from $27.00 to $26.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Pfizer from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $27.00 price target on shares of Pfizer in a report on Monday, July 6th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Pfizer from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, HSBC cut shares of Pfizer from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and cut their target price for the stock from $32.00 to $28.00 in a report on Monday, July 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Pfizer currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $28.56.

More Pfizer News

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: The U.S. FDA approved PADCEV plus Keytruda for muscle-invasive bladder cancer, expanding the label for a key Pfizer/Astellas regimen and potentially opening the door to more sales in oncology. Article: U.S. FDA Approves PADCEV® plus Keytruda® as Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Treatment for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Regardless of Cisplatin Eligibility
• Positive Sentiment: Pfizer’s oncology story also got incremental attention from a completed lorlatinib lung cancer study and other clinical updates, which keep investors focused on the company’s pipeline rather than only its mature products. Article: Pfizer’s Lorlatinib Lung Cancer Study Wraps Up, Offering Fresh Signals for PFE Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America lowered its price target on Pfizer to $26 from $27 while keeping a neutral rating, signaling limited upside but no major change in its overall stance. Article: Pfizer had its price target lowered by Bank of America Corporation from $27.00 to $26.00.
• Negative Sentiment: Several market commentary pieces highlighted concerns about Pfizer’s growth outlook and mixed second-quarter expectations, including skepticism about how quickly Seagen-related benefits will show up in results. Article: Pfizer Poised for Mixed Second Quarter, RBC Says

Pfizer Stock Performance

Shares of PFE traded down $0.04 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $24.21. 27,476,453 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 47,734,172. The business's 50 day moving average price is $25.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $26.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $138.01 billion, a PE ratio of 18.48 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.25. Pfizer Inc. has a 1-year low of $23.11 and a 1-year high of $28.75.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.72 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $14.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $13.84 billion. Pfizer had a net margin of 11.83% and a return on equity of 19.44%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.92 EPS. Pfizer has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.800-3.000 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pfizer Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a $0.43 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.1%. Pfizer's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 131.30%.

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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