Reviewing Pfizer (PFE) and Its Peers

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) is one of 903 publicly-traded companies in the “Pharmaceuticals” industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its rivals? We will compare Pfizer to related businesses based on the strength of its earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, profitability, valuation and dividends.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Pfizer and its rivals top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Net Income	Price/Earnings Ratio
Pfizer	$63.70 billion	$7.77 billion	36.55
Pfizer Competitors	$5.19 billion	$3.13 billion	543.60

Pfizer has higher revenue and earnings than its rivals. Pfizer is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Profitability

This table compares Pfizer and its rivals’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Pfizer	6.80%	19.63%	8.46%
Pfizer Competitors	-2,299.79%	-222.94%	-17.42%

Dividends

Pfizer pays an annual dividend of $1.72 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.2%. Pfizer pays out 226.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. As a group, “Pharmaceuticals” companies pay a dividend yield of 3.7% and pay out 49.6% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Pfizer has increased its dividend for 16 consecutive years.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

68.4% of Pfizer shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 32.8% of shares of all “Pharmaceuticals” companies are owned by institutional investors. 0.6% of Pfizer shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 14.3% of shares of all “Pharmaceuticals” companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Volatility and Risk

Pfizer has a beta of 0.34, indicating that its stock price is 66% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Pfizer’s rivals have a beta of -3.19, indicating that their average stock price is 419% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Pfizer and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Pfizer	2	14	4	1	2.19
Pfizer Competitors	7588	13653	25447	996	2.42

Pfizer currently has a consensus price target of $28.28, indicating a potential upside of 1.79%. As a group, “Pharmaceuticals” companies have a potential upside of 31.91%. Given Pfizer’s rivals stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Pfizer has less favorable growth aspects than its rivals.

Summary

Pfizer beats its rivals on 9 of the 15 factors compared.

Pfizer Company Profile

Pfizer Inc. discovers, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company offers medicines and vaccines in various therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular metabolic, migraine, and women's health under the Eliquis, Nurtec ODT/Vydura, Zavzpret, and the Premarin family brands; infectious diseases with unmet medical needs under the Prevnar family, Abrysvo, Nimenrix, FSME/IMMUN-TicoVac, and Trumenba brands; and COVID-19 prevention and treatment, and potential future mRNA and antiviral products under the Comirnaty and Paxlovid brands. It also provides medicines and vaccines in various therapeutic areas, such as biosimilars for chronic immune and inflammatory diseases under the Xeljanz, Enbrel, Inflectra, Litfulo, Velsipity, and Cibinqo brands; amyloidosis, hemophilia, endocrine diseases, and sickle cell disease under the Vyndaqel family, Oxbryta, BeneFIX, Somavert, Ngenla, and Genotropin brands; sterile injectable and anti-infective medicines under the Sulperazon, Medrol, Zavicefta, Zithromax, and Panzyga brands; and biologics, small molecules, immunotherapies, and biosimilars under the Ibrance, Xtandi, Inlyta, Bosulif, Mektovi, Padcev, Adcetris, Talzenna, Tukysa, Elrexfio, Tivdak, Lorbrena, and Braftovi brands. In addition, the company involved in the contract manufacturing business. It serves wholesalers, retailers, hospitals, clinics, government agencies, pharmacies, individual provider offices, retail pharmacies, and integrated delivery systems. The company has collaboration agreements with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; Astellas Pharma US, Inc.; Merck KGaA; and BioNTech SE. Pfizer Inc. was founded in 1849 and is headquartered in New York, New York.