Lazard Asset Management LLC reduced its stake in Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE - Free Report) by 81.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 340,255 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock after selling 1,500,673 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC's holdings in Pfizer were worth $9,554,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of PFE. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Pfizer by 1.3% during the 4th 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 increased its position in shares of Pfizer by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 300,445,164 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $7,481,085,000 after purchasing an additional 1,357,756 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Pfizer by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 130,192,081 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $3,235,642,000 after purchasing an additional 1,184,728 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its stake in Pfizer by 19.2% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 89,113,604 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $2,218,929,000 after purchasing an additional 14,342,946 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in Pfizer during the fourth quarter worth about $1,830,986,000. 68.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Pfizer News

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: The European Commission granted marketing authorization for Pfizer and BioNTech’s XFG-adapted COVID-19 vaccine for the 2026–2027 season. The approval supports continued seasonal vaccine revenue, although demand remains difficult to forecast. BioNTech and Pfizer Secure EU Approval for XFG-Adapted COVID-19 Vaccine for 2026-2027 Season
• Positive Sentiment: Québec selected Pfizer’s PREVNAR 20 for its publicly funded pediatric pneumococcal immunization program. The decision could expand vaccine adoption and provide recurring sales support in the Canadian market. Pfizer's PREVNAR 20 Selected for Québec's Publicly Funded Pediatric Pneumococcal Immunization Program
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank raised its fiscal 2027 Pfizer earnings estimate to $2.86 per share from $2.84. The increase, though modest, signals slightly improved confidence in the company’s future earnings trajectory. Pfizer FY2027 Earnings Estimate Update
• Neutral Sentiment: Pfizer completed a Phase 1 study evaluating formulation and dosing for ibuzatrelvir, an oral antiviral candidate. The update advances development but offers no evidence yet of efficacy or commercial approval. Pfizer Fine Tunes Ibuzatrelvir Tablet in Completed Phase 1 Study
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts expect Pfizer to potentially beat second-quarter earnings estimates, supported by key products and cost or operational improvements. Investors are focused on whether management maintains its full-year 2026 earnings guidance of $2.80–$3.00 per share and addresses COVID-related revenue declines. Pfizer Expected to Beat Earnings Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain cautious ahead of the earnings release because Pfizer must offset declining COVID-related sales and demonstrate progress in cancer, obesity and other growth areas. Uncertainty around guidance and the pace of its business reset may be limiting buying interest.

Pfizer Stock Down 0.4%

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NYSE:PFE opened at $25.16 on Thursday. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $25.08 and its 200 day simple moving average is $26.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 0.94. Pfizer Inc. has a one year low of $23.11 and a one year high of $28.75. The company has a market cap of $143.40 billion, a PE ratio of 19.21 and a beta of 0.35.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.72 by $0.03. Pfizer had a return on equity of 19.44% and a net margin of 11.83%.The firm had revenue of $14.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.84 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.92 EPS. The business's revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. Pfizer has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.800-3.000 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Pfizer Dividend Announcement

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The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th will be issued a $0.43 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.8%. Pfizer's payout ratio is presently 131.30%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PFE has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on shares of Pfizer from $34.00 to $30.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 13th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated a "neutral" rating and set a $27.00 price objective on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Bank of America cut their target price on Pfizer from $27.00 to $26.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Guggenheim reduced their target price on Pfizer from $36.00 to $35.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Pfizer from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $28.50.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Pfizer

About Pfizer

(Free Report)

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.

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