Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) Upgraded by Barclays to “Strong Sell” Rating

Barclays upgraded shares of Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) to a strong sell rating in a research note released on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on PFE. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $27.00 price objective on shares of Pfizer in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $25.00 price target for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $30.00 price target on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Zacks Research lowered Pfizer from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $27.84.

Pfizer Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE PFE opened at $26.66 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 0.97. The firm has a market cap of $151.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.60 and a beta of 0.47. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $25.95 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $25.31. Pfizer has a one year low of $20.92 and a one year high of $27.94.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.57 by $0.09. Pfizer had a net margin of 12.42% and a return on equity of 20.25%. The company had revenue of $17.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.93 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.63 earnings per share. Pfizer’s quarterly revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Pfizer will post 2.95 EPS for the current year.

Pfizer Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.43 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 23rd. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.5%. Pfizer’s dividend payout ratio is presently 126.47%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pfizer

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of PFE. Horizon Financial Services LLC raised its stake in Pfizer by 174.8% during the fourth quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC now owns 1,014 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 645 shares in the last quarter. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Pfizer during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Curio Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Pfizer by 36,600.0% in the 2nd quarter. Curio Wealth LLC now owns 1,101 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 1,098 shares during the last quarter. YANKCOM Partnership acquired a new stake in Pfizer in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Pfizer in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.36% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Pfizer

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group nudged its forecasts slightly higher for FY2026 and FY2027 EPS (FY2026 to $2.97 and FY2027 to $2.84), a modest validation of near‑term earnings resilience. Erste Group raises FY2026/27 estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Pfizer announced positive results from the BREAKWATER trial — clinical progress that can support future revenue/label expansion for the program involved. BREAKWATER trial results
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage in a “high dividend, low volatility” list highlights Pfizer’s appeal to income and defensive investors — a potential support for the stock from dividend-focused buyers. High dividend, low-volatility list
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyses and features (e.g., Motley Fool pieces) argue Pfizer may be undervalued or a durable big‑pharma holding despite competitive pressures; these perspectives are longer‑term and don’t guarantee near‑term moves. Fool: underrated healthcare play
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks coverage notes Pfizer targeting long‑term oncology growth (Padcev, Lorbrena and new launches offsetting declines), which is strategic but faces competitive risk. Zacks: oncology growth amid competition
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays initiated coverage with an underweight/“strong sell” stance (reported across outlets), a high‑profile bearish call that pressures sentiment and can trigger selling by funds that follow bank ratings. MSN: Barclays underweight/strong sell
• Negative Sentiment: Other analysts and commentary are starting coverage on a bearish note (Benzinga summary), amplifying downward pressure from fresh negative initiations. Benzinga: bearish initiations
• Negative Sentiment: Income/yield caution pieces (e.g., Seeking Alpha) flag Pfizer’s high yield as risky, which can deter yield‑sensitive buyers despite the dividend. Seeking Alpha: risky yield
• Negative Sentiment: Comparisons with AstraZeneca highlight AZN’s stronger growth outlook, feeding narratives that Pfizer’s upside is more limited. Zacks: AstraZeneca vs. Pfizer

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.