Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) Cut to Hold at Daiwa America

Daiwa America downgraded shares of Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Thursday morning,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on PFE. Bank of America lowered their price target 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 restated a “hold” rating on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $30.00 price target on shares of Pfizer in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Scotiabank began coverage on Pfizer in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. They issued a “sector outperform” rating and a $30.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Zacks Research cut Pfizer from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $28.00.

Pfizer Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:PFE opened at $27.58 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $25.81 and a 200-day moving average of $25.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.28. Pfizer has a twelve month low of $20.92 and a twelve month high of $27.94. The firm has a market cap of $156.78 billion, a PE ratio of 20.28 and a beta of 0.47.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.57 by $0.09. Pfizer had a net margin of 12.42% and a return on equity of 20.25%. The firm had revenue of $17.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.93 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.63 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Pfizer will post 2.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pfizer Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.43 per share. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 23rd. Pfizer’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 126.47%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PFE. Horizon Financial Services LLC increased its stake in Pfizer by 174.8% during the 4th quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC now owns 1,014 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 645 shares in the last quarter. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Pfizer in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Curio Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 1,098 shares in the last quarter. YANKCOM Partnership bought a new stake in Pfizer in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, HFM Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Pfizer by 61.0% in the 4th quarter. HFM Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,127 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 427 shares during the period. 68.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.