Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) Trading Down 0.2% – Time to Sell?

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE)’s stock price dropped 0.2% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $25.72 and last traded at $25.77. Approximately 7,133,132 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 81% from the average daily volume of 38,317,105 shares. The stock had previously closed at $25.82.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on PFE. Daiwa Capital Markets upgraded shares of Pfizer from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $28.00 to $34.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Daiwa America upgraded Pfizer from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Wolfe Research began coverage on Pfizer in a research note on Friday, November 15th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $25.00 price objective on the stock. Evercore ISI upgraded Pfizer to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Pfizer in a report on Friday, October 25th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $30.00 target price on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $32.92.

Pfizer Stock Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average price of $27.83 and a 200-day moving average price of $28.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. The company has a market cap of $144.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.82, a PEG ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 0.65.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.06 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.42. Pfizer had a return on equity of 16.28% and a net margin of 7.07%. The firm had revenue of $17.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.92 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($0.17) earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 31.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pfizer Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 8th were paid a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.57%. Pfizer’s dividend payout ratio is currently 227.03%.

Insider Activity at Pfizer

In related news, Director Scott Gottlieb bought 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 30th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $28.24 per share, for a total transaction of $28,240.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 10,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $282,400. The trade was a 11.11 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pfizer

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Olistico Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Pfizer during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Apella Capital LLC raised its position in Pfizer by 19.4% during the second quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 17,611 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $488,000 after buying an additional 2,858 shares during the period. CVA Family Office LLC boosted its position in Pfizer by 119.9% during the 2nd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 11,998 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $336,000 after acquiring an additional 6,542 shares during the period. Fiduciary Alliance LLC purchased a new position in Pfizer during the 2nd quarter valued at about $204,000. Finally, Triangle Securities Wealth Management increased its stake in Pfizer by 12.7% in the 2nd quarter. Triangle Securities Wealth Management now owns 14,274 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $399,000 after buying an additional 1,610 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.36% of the company’s stock.

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.