Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) Downgraded by Zacks Research to Strong Sell

Zacks Research downgraded shares of Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research note published on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports.

PFE has been the subject of a number of other reports. Scotiabank assumed coverage on Pfizer in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. They set a “sector outperform” rating and a $30.00 target price for the company. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Pfizer from $29.00 to $28.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 15th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Pfizer in a report on Tuesday, December 30th. Wolfe Research set a $24.00 price objective on shares of Pfizer and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $26.00 price target on shares of Pfizer in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $28.06.

Pfizer Stock Performance

NYSE:PFE traded down $0.49 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $26.02. 20,387,938 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 48,225,461. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.28. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $25.43 and its 200 day simple moving average is $25.01. Pfizer has a fifty-two week low of $20.92 and a fifty-two week high of $27.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $147.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.13 and a beta of 0.47.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.87 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.08. Pfizer had a return on equity of 20.17% and a net margin of 15.65%.The company had revenue of $16.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.94 billion. Pfizer has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.000-3.150 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Pfizer will post 2.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pfizer Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 6th. Investors of record on Friday, January 23rd will be paid a $0.43 dividend. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 23rd. Pfizer’s payout ratio is currently 100.00%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of PFE. Horizon Financial Services LLC raised 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 acquiring an additional 645 shares in the last quarter. Curio Wealth LLC grew its stake in Pfizer by 36,600.0% during the second quarter. Curio Wealth LLC now owns 1,101 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 1,098 shares during the period. YANKCOM Partnership acquired a new position in Pfizer in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Pfizer during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Harbor Asset Planning Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Pfizer during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.36% of the company’s stock.

Key Pfizer News

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target on PFE to $27 from $24, providing a near-term bullish catalyst and supporting analyst-driven upside. Why Is Pfizer Stock Rising Tuesday?
• Positive Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece reiterated a bullish stance, arguing longer-term fundamentals and strategic initiatives remain attractive despite near-term headwinds. Pfizer: The Great Healthcare Plan Does Not Change My Bullish Stance
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces highlight Pfizer’s rising use of debt and leverage metrics — a flagged risk to monitor but not an immediate catalyst by itself. These 4 Measures Indicate That Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) Is Using Debt Extensively
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentaries and company coverage pieces (earnings previews, peer comparisons, CEO profile) are circulating; they provide context but contain mixed views rather than a single directional trigger. Pfizer vs. Merck Stock And JNJ
• Negative Sentiment: The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services named several Pfizer drugs on its third-round list for Medicare Drug Price Negotiation (2028), increasing potential pricing pressure and margin risk for listed products. US Medicare names Eli Lilly, Pfizer and AbbVie drugs for next Medicare price talks
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded PFE from “hold” to “strong sell,” which can amplify selling pressure from retail and model-driven funds. Zacks.com
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings previews warn Q4 results may decline versus last year, raising the risk of an earnings miss or muted guidance that could weigh on sentiment. Earnings Preview: Pfizer (PFE) Q4 Earnings Expected to Decline
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive risk: Aclaris reported early hair-loss results that outperformed Pfizer’s Litfulo in preclinical models, a reminder of clinical/commercial threats in key franchises. Aclaris Hair Loss Drug Shows Faster Results Than Pfizer’s Drug

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.