Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) Shares Down 2.9% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Pfizer shares fell 2.9% to about $29.91 on Thursday, with trading volume 32% above average.
• The company raised its 2026 outlook to $62–$64 billion in revenue and adjusted EPS of $2.95–$3.05; quarterly EPS and revenue also beat analyst estimates, though revenue dipped 0.4% year over year and margin pressure remains a concern.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed, with an average Hold rating and $29.94 average price target. Pfizer also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.43 per share, equivalent to a 5.8% yield at the reported share price.

Shares of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE - Get Free Report) dropped 2.9% on Thursday. The company traded as low as $29.85 and last traded at $29.9070. Approximately 52,544,898 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 32% from the average session volume of 39,817,523 shares. The stock had previously closed at $30.79.

Key Pfizer News

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Pfizer raised its 2026 revenue outlook to $62 billion–$64 billion and adjusted EPS guidance to $2.95–$3.05. Non-COVID products grew 7% operationally in the quarter, while launched and acquired products rose 32%, reinforcing the company’s growth-beyond-COVID strategy. Pfizer: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Guggenheim raised its price target to $33 and assigned a Buy rating, while unusually high call-option activity suggests some traders are positioning for upside. Options activity is speculative and does not guarantee a price move.
• Positive Sentiment: Pfizer advanced its Phase 3 study of a monthly obesity drug, a potential pipeline catalyst as investors assess its ability to compete in the weight-loss market. Pfizer Advances Monthly Obesity Drug Study
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views remain mixed: Goldman Sachs maintained a Hold rating, while UBS and Citi raised targets but kept Neutral ratings. Goldman Sachs Remains a Hold on Pfizer
• Negative Sentiment: Margin compression remains a concern, and investors may want evidence that new-product growth and cost reductions can translate into durable earnings improvement. That uncertainty could temper the positive impact of raised guidance. Pfizer Q3 deep dive

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on PFE shares. Argus set a $40.00 price target on Pfizer in a research note on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Pfizer from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Guggenheim raised their price objective on shares of Pfizer from $31.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Pfizer from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Monday, August 31st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on shares of Pfizer from $34.00 to $30.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $29.94.

Pfizer Trading Down 2.9%

The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $28.69 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $26.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $170.46 billion, a PE ratio of 42.72, a PEG ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.27.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.13. Pfizer had a net margin of 6.34% and a return on equity of 19.98%. The company had revenue of $16.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.87 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Pfizer Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 6th will be given a $0.43 dividend. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 6th. Pfizer's dividend payout ratio is presently 226.32%.

Institutional Trading of Pfizer

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its position in Pfizer by 11.0% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,132,291 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $31,840,000 after buying an additional 112,523 shares in the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its stake in Pfizer by 62.8% in the third quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 4,721,719 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $134,667,000 after buying an additional 1,820,944 shares during the last quarter. Leelyn Smith LLC boosted its holdings in Pfizer by 3.9% in the third quarter. Leelyn Smith LLC now owns 128,235 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $3,657,000 after acquiring an additional 4,851 shares in the last quarter. Verus Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Pfizer by 5.1% in the third quarter. Verus Capital Partners LLC now owns 16,716 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $477,000 after acquiring an additional 805 shares in the last quarter. Finally, W.G. Shaheen & Associates DBA Whitney & Co purchased a new stake in shares of Pfizer during the third quarter worth about $221,000. 68.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Pfizer

Pfizer Inc is a global biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes prescription medicines and vaccines. Its research activities span areas including oncology, internal medicine, inflammation and immunology, hospital care, infectious diseases and rare diseases.

The company's portfolio includes medicines such as Eliquis, Ibrance, Prevnar and Vyndaqel, as well as vaccines including Comirnaty, Abrysvo and Prevnar. Pfizer also develops treatments through internal research, licensing agreements and collaborations with other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Founded in Brooklyn, New York, in 1849 by Charles Pfizer and Charles Erhart, Pfizer has grown into an international healthcare company serving patients and healthcare providers in markets around the world.

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