Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) Shares Down 1.2% – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) fell 1.2% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $26.18 and last traded at $26.29. 31,685,855 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 25% from the average daily volume of 42,408,969 shares. The stock had previously closed at $26.62.

Pfizer News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Lyme vaccine advances to European review: The European Medicines Agency validated Pfizer and Valneva’s marketing authorization application for PF-07307405, a six-valent Lyme disease vaccine candidate. The filing is supported by Phase 3 VALOR results showing more than 70% efficacy and no significant safety concerns. Validation begins the formal review process and improves the product’s prospects, although it is not an approval. Pfizer and Valneva’s Lyme Disease Vaccine Candidate Marketing Authorization Application Validated by European Medicines Agency
• Positive Sentiment: Paxlovid data support continued demand in high-risk patients: Pfizer reported completion of a Korean real-world study evaluating Paxlovid, potentially reinforcing the antiviral’s value for high-risk COVID-19 patients even as pandemic-related revenue has declined. Pfizer’s Korean Paxlovid Study Signals Ongoing Value in High-Risk COVID Market
• Positive Sentiment: Insider purchase offers a confidence signal: CEO Albert Bourla reportedly bought approximately $1 million of Pfizer shares, which may improve sentiment by signaling management’s belief that the stock is undervalued. Pfizer CEO Buys $1 Million of Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: The Lyme vaccine remains subject to regulatory approval and commercialization, so any meaningful revenue contribution is likely several years away. Investors are also weighing Pfizer’s mixed recent results, including strong adjusted quarterly earnings and revenue but a reported net loss tied partly to large non-cash impairments.
• Negative Sentiment: Pfizer’s hemophilia gene-therapy business faces commercial pressure following the discontinuation of BEQVEZ, while physicians increasingly require longer-term efficacy data before adopting gene therapies. This underscores the challenges facing parts of Pfizer’s pipeline and could limit near-term growth. Gene Therapy Remains Top-of-Mind in Hemophilia Despite Recent Market Contraction

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on PFE. Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded shares of Pfizer from an “underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and set a $25.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on Pfizer from $34.00 to $30.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 13th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $27.00 target price on shares of Pfizer in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. CICC Research started coverage on Pfizer in a report on Thursday, April 16th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $33.00 target price for the company. Finally, Wolfe Research restated an “underperform” rating and set a $26.00 price target on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $28.28.

Pfizer Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $153.29 billion, a PE ratio of 35.40 and a beta of 0.34. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $25.11 and its 200-day simple moving average is $26.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.77 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.68 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $15.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.40 billion. Pfizer had a net margin of 6.80% and a return on equity of 19.63%. Pfizer’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.78 earnings per share. Pfizer has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.800-3.000 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pfizer Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th will be issued a $0.43 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.4%. Pfizer’s payout ratio is 226.32%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pfizer

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PFE. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Pfizer by 132.2% in the first quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 994 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 566 shares during the period. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Pfizer in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Keb Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pfizer in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. HFM Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Pfizer by 61.0% during the fourth quarter. HFM Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,127 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 427 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Global Trust Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Pfizer by 126.7% during the first quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC now owns 1,163 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 650 shares in the last quarter. 68.36% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.