Pfizer Inc. $PFE Shares Acquired by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) by 2.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,306,808 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after acquiring an additional 169,048 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.11% of Pfizer worth $157,040,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Pfizer by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 541,346,182 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $13,479,520,000 after acquiring an additional 7,031,162 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its position in Pfizer by 0.9% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 299,087,408 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $7,620,747,000 after buying an additional 2,786,098 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp grew its position in Pfizer by 1.4% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 64,019,807 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $1,631,225,000 after buying an additional 869,175 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its position in Pfizer by 1.9% in the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 49,288,054 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $1,255,860,000 after buying an additional 897,786 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc grew its position in Pfizer by 8.6% in the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 41,741,186 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $1,063,565,000 after buying an additional 3,296,415 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.36% of the company’s stock.

Pfizer Trading Up 0.5%

NYSE PFE opened at $26.42 on Wednesday. Pfizer Inc. has a twelve month low of $21.97 and a twelve month high of $28.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 1.16. The stock has a market cap of $150.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.43 and a beta of 0.35. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $27.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $26.13.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.03. Pfizer had a net margin of 12.42% and a return on equity of 20.48%. The firm had revenue of $14.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.92 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Pfizer has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.800-3.000 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.99 EPS for the current year.

Pfizer Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 8th will be given a dividend of $0.43 per share. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 8th. Pfizer’s payout ratio is presently 126.47%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on PFE. Cantor Fitzgerald restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $27.00 price target on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Pfizer from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Pfizer from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Daiwa Securities Group lowered shares of Pfizer from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $27.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, CICC Research began coverage on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $33.00 price target on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $28.74.

Key Stories Impacting Pfizer

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations: Pfizer reported $14.45B in revenue and $0.75 EPS, topping Street estimates as growth from recently launched and acquired products (notably Eliquis and cancer drugs) offset declines in COVID sales. Pfizer beats Q1 profit estimates on strong demand for blood thinner Eliquis (Reuters)
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline and M&A support longer-term growth: Management highlighted pipeline progress and the strategic Metsera acquisition (obesity) as key to offsetting legacy declines and to drive post‑2028 growth. Pfizer tops Wall Street estimates, reaffirms outlook as newer products show growth (CNBC)
• Positive Sentiment: Legal and patent developments extend revenue visibility: A patent settlement around Vyndamax and recent favorable rulings (including COVID‑vaccine related wins) were cited as reshaping the company’s post‑2028 revenue outlook. Pfizer Says Vyndamax Drug Patent Settlement Reshapes Post-2028 Revenue View (Benzinga)
• Positive Sentiment: New FDA approval: Pfizer (with Arvinas) won approval for VEPPANU, a first‑of‑its‑kind therapy for ESR1‑mutated advanced breast cancer, adding a near‑term commercial product. Pfizer, Arvinas Win FDA Nod For First-Of-Its-Kind Breast Cancer Therapy (Benzinga)
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance reiterated but with modest gaps vs. consensus: Pfizer reaffirmed FY‑2026 guidance (EPS $2.80–3.00; revenue $59.5B–62.5B), roughly in line but the EPS range is slightly conservative versus consensus, leaving limited upside in near‑term estimates. Pfizer Reports Strong First-Quarter Results And Reaffirms 2026 Guidance (BusinessWire)
• Negative Sentiment: Higher R&D and expense pressure: Increased R&D spending weighed on profit, producing lower adjusted margins vs. the prior year and signaling near‑term profit pressure as the company invests in pipeline. Pfizer Revenue Rises But Profit Falls Amid Boosted R&D Spending (WSJ)
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed market reaction and skepticism: Some analysts call the quarter “mild” — beats were offset by conservative guidance and margin pressures, so the report may not satisfy investors focused on near‑term sales acceleration. Why Pfizer’s ‘Mild’ First-Quarter Report Likely Won’t Satisfy Skeptics (Investors.com)

Pfizer 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.