Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) Stock Sees Unusually High Call Option Buying

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock traders purchased 129,850 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 23% compared to the typical daily volume of 105,297 call options.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on PFE. Wall Street Zen downgraded Pfizer from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their target price on shares of Pfizer from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Weiss Ratings raised Pfizer from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Scotiabank upped their price objective on shares of Pfizer from $30.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Pfizer from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 9th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $28.72.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pfizer

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its holdings in Pfizer by 15.7% during the 2nd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 5,482,863 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $132,365,000 after acquiring an additional 745,213 shares in the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its holdings in Pfizer by 10.4% during 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 purchased a new position in Pfizer during the second quarter worth $4,887,000. Park National Corp OH increased its position in Pfizer by 332.1% during the second 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 in the last quarter. Finally, 111 Capital acquired a new position in shares of Pfizer in the second quarter worth $3,706,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.36% of the company’s stock.

Pfizer News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Broad IDWeek 2026 pipeline update: Pfizer plans to present more than 50 abstracts, including 12 oral presentations, covering pneumococcal disease, RSV, COVID-19 and Lyme disease. The volume of upcoming clinical data gives investors multiple potential catalysts beyond the company’s COVID-era products. Pfizer Showcases Clinical Advancements Across Infectious Diseases at IDWeek 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Next-generation vaccine progress: Pfizer has begun a Phase 3 trial for a next-generation pediatric pneumococcal vaccine, potentially extending the growth runway for its vaccines business. Investors are also watching Phase 3 Lyme vaccine results and additional real-world vaccine data. Pfizer’s Next-Gen Pneumococcal Shot Enters Key Phase 3 Test
• Positive Sentiment: New external innovation deal: Pfizer’s collaboration and licensing agreement with Enodia Therapeutics gives it access to a Sec61 inhibitor platform and adds a new small-molecule discovery program. Pfizer will oversee clinical, regulatory and commercial development, although the financial and development risks remain significant. What Is Pfizer Really Gaining From Its Sec61 Drug Discovery Deal?
• Positive Sentiment: Income support and improving outlook: Pfizer’s roughly 6% dividend yield, recently declared quarterly dividend of $0.43 per share, positive recent clinical updates and improved earnings guidance make the stock attractive to income-focused investors while the pipeline develops. Forget Treasury Bonds: This 6%-Yielding Pharma Stock Pays You to Wait for Its Pipeline
• Neutral Sentiment: Risks remain: Commentary highlights Pfizer’s elevated dividend payout ratio, while the median analyst price target of about $27 trails the stock’s recent trading level. These factors may limit further upside unless clinical execution and earnings growth improve. Pfizer Pays Out Over 226% of Earnings

Pfizer Stock Up 3.0%

Shares of Pfizer stock traded up $0.85 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $29.22. The company had a trading volume of 39,310,200 shares, compared to its average volume of 40,282,973. The company’s 50-day moving average is $27.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $26.52. Pfizer has a twelve month low of $23.62 and a twelve month high of $29.49. 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 $166.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.32.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.77 earnings per share 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 the consensus estimate of $14.40 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.78 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. Pfizer has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.800-3.000 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Pfizer will post 2.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Pfizer Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 6th will be issued a $0.43 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 6th. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.9%. Pfizer’s payout ratio is presently 226.32%.

About Pfizer

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.