Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) Stock Price Down 1.5% – Time to Sell?

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) shares were down 1.5% during mid-day trading on Thursday. The company traded as low as $28.08 and last traded at $28.0990. 29,620,346 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 27% from the average session volume of 40,696,957 shares. The stock had previously closed at $28.52.

More Pfizer News

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: LITFULO delivers positive Phase 3 vitiligo results: Pfizer said its oral treatment ritlecitinib significantly improved facial and total-body repigmentation versus placebo in the TRANQUILLO and TRANQUILLO 2 Phase 3 trials. Positive patient-reported outcomes and the potential to expand LITFULO into a new indication could strengthen Pfizer’s immunology growth outlook. Pfizer’s LITFULO Significantly Improved Facial and Total Body Repigmentation
• Positive Sentiment: Tilrekimig advances toward late-stage development: The company reported that its Phase 2 atopic dermatitis study met its primary endpoint, with significantly more patients achieving at least a 75% reduction in disease severity than those receiving placebo. Pfizer plans Phase 3 studies in atopic dermatitis and asthma, potentially adding a meaningful future immunology asset to its pipeline. Pfizer’s Tilrekimig Shows Significant Skin Clearance
• Positive Sentiment: Breast-cancer trial reaches a milestone: Pfizer provided an update on the TACTIVE-U Sub-Study C Phase 3 trial involving a breast-cancer combination. The update supports continued development of the oncology portfolio, although the available report does not provide enough efficacy or regulatory detail to quantify the commercial impact. Pfizer’s TACTIVE-U Breast Cancer Combo Trial Reaches Key Milestone
• Neutral Sentiment: Pipeline progress is important because Pfizer remains in transition: Analysts and financial commentary continue to highlight largely flat revenue, the decline in COVID-related sales and patent-loss pressure. Pfizer’s roughly 6% dividend yield may attract income investors, but future returns depend on successful launches and acquisitions translating into durable growth. Pfizer’s Dividend and Business Transition
• Negative Sentiment: Florida lawsuit adds legal overhang: Florida’s attorney general sued Pfizer and its chief executive over claims related to COVID-19 vaccine disclosures and risks. The allegations could create litigation costs, reputational damage and additional uncertainty around the company’s COVID-19 business.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PFE has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised Pfizer from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Pfizer from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, September 13th. Guggenheim decreased their price objective on shares of Pfizer from $35.00 to $31.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Pfizer from $30.00 to $28.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on shares of Pfizer from $34.00 to $30.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $28.39.

Pfizer Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 0.96. The company has a market cap of $158.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.32. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $27.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $26.48.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.68 by $0.09. Pfizer had a return on equity of 19.63% and a net margin of 6.80%.The business had revenue of $15.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.40 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.78 EPS. Pfizer’s quarterly revenue was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Pfizer has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.800-3.000 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pfizer

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its position in Pfizer by 15.7% in the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 5,482,863 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $132,365,000 after purchasing an additional 745,213 shares in the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its stake in Pfizer by 10.4% in the 2nd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 2,462,431 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $59,295,000 after buying an additional 232,528 shares during the last quarter. Leuthold Group LLC bought a new stake in Pfizer during the 2nd quarter worth about $4,887,000. Park National Corp OH boosted its stake in shares of Pfizer by 332.1% during the 2nd quarter. Park National Corp OH now owns 242,081 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $5,829,000 after buying an additional 186,053 shares during the last quarter. Finally, 111 Capital bought a new position in shares of Pfizer in the 2nd quarter valued at about $3,706,000. 68.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Pfizer Company Profile

Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) is a global biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes prescription medicines and vaccines. Its research and commercial activities focus on areas including oncology, inflammation and immunology, internal medicine, hospital care and vaccines.

The company’s portfolio includes widely used products such as the Prevnar family of pneumococcal vaccines, Ibrance for certain breast cancers, Eliquis for preventing blood clots, Xeljanz for inflammatory conditions, and Vyndaqel for transthyretin amyloidosis.