Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) Shares Up 2.1% - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Pfizer shares rose 2.1% on Wednesday, trading as high as $24.82 as volume came in slightly above average. The stock closed at $24.25 the prior session.
• The biggest positive catalyst was FDA approval of PADCEV plus Keytruda for muscle-invasive bladder cancer, which expands the treatment regimen and could reach more patients.
• Investor sentiment remains mixed: analysts currently have an average “Hold” rating with a consensus target of $28.50, while Pfizer also offers a 6.9% dividend yield that may appeal to income-focused investors.

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE - Get Free Report) shot up 2.1% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $24.82 and last traded at $24.7710. 44,094,280 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 3% from the average daily volume of 42,613,000 shares. The stock had previously closed at $24.25.

Pfizer News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Pfizer announced FDA approval for PADCEV plus Keytruda in muscle-invasive bladder cancer, expanding the regimen as both neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy and potentially opening the treatment to a wider patient population. Pfizer (PFE) Announces FDA Approval of PADCEV plus Keytruda in MIBC
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary has highlighted Pfizer’s oncology growth story, including sales from key cancer drugs, biosimilars, and pipeline updates that may help offset declines in older products. Here's How Pfizer's Oncology Growth Story Looks Ahead of Q2 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles pointed to Pfizer’s shares trading below Wall Street’s consensus target, framing the stock as potentially undervalued and attractive for income-focused investors due to its high dividend yield. Pfizer Has the Highest-Yielding Dividend in the S&P 500. Should Investors Be Worried?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage noted that Pfizer has been advancing while the broader market was weaker, but this was more of a trading snapshot than a new company-specific catalyst. Pfizer (PFE) Advances While Market Declines: Some Information for Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Some recent pieces flagged lingering bearish technical signals and warned that Wall Street still expects a double-digit decline in next quarter’s profit, which may keep a lid on enthusiasm. Here's What to Expect From Pfizer's Next Earnings Report

Analyst Ratings Changes

PFE has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wolfe Research reiterated an "underperform" rating and set a $26.00 price target on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Pfizer from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Pfizer in a report on Thursday, April 16th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $33.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Pfizer from $30.00 to $28.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Pfizer from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. One equities 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 assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Pfizer has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $28.50.

Pfizer Stock Up 2.1%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $25.28 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $26.18. The stock has a market cap of $141.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.91 and a beta of 0.35.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 analysts' expectations of $13.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.92 earnings per share. The business's revenue 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, equities analysts forecast that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.96 EPS for the current 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 issued a $0.43 dividend. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. Pfizer's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 131.30%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pfizer

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of PFE. Horizon Financial Services LLC grew its position 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 buying an additional 645 shares during the last quarter. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Pfizer during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Keb Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Pfizer during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. YANKCOM Partnership purchased a new stake in Pfizer in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Finally, HFM Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Pfizer by 61.0% in the fourth quarter. HFM Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,127 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 427 shares in the last quarter. 68.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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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