Pfizer Inc. $PFE Stock Purchased by New England Professional Planning Group Inc.

New England Professional Planning Group Inc. lifted its stake in Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) by 205.6% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 58,572 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after buying an additional 39,405 shares during the period. Pfizer makes up approximately 0.6% of New England Professional Planning Group Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. New England Professional Planning Group Inc.’s holdings in Pfizer were worth $1,670,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of PFE. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised 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 buying an additional 745,213 shares during the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB raised its stake in Pfizer by 10.4% during the second 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 position in shares of Pfizer in the second quarter worth approximately $4,887,000. Park National Corp OH boosted its stake in Pfizer by 332.1% during the 2nd quarter. Park National Corp OH now owns 242,081 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $5,829,000 after purchasing an additional 186,053 shares during the last quarter. Finally, 111 Capital purchased a new position in Pfizer in the 2nd quarter worth about $3,706,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.36% of the company’s stock.

Pfizer Price Performance

PFE stock opened at $30.73 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $175.16 billion, a PE ratio of 40.44, a P/E/G ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.32. Pfizer Inc. has a 12 month low of $23.62 and a 12 month high of $31.04. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $28.60 and a 200 day moving average price of $26.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.77 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.68 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $15.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.40 billion. Pfizer had a net margin of 6.80% and a return on equity of 19.63%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.78 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Pfizer Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 7th. Investors of record on Friday, November 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.43 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 6th. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.6%. Pfizer’s payout ratio is presently 226.32%.

Pfizer News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are watching Pfizer’s obesity pipeline for evidence of a potential long-term growth opportunity. A successful update could help offset concerns about slower growth elsewhere in the business. Pfizer Q3 preview: Analysts look to obesity pipeline amid diverging growth expectations
• Positive Sentiment: Pfizer’s roughly 6% dividend yield continues to appeal to income-oriented investors. At that yield, generating $500 in monthly dividend income would require approximately $106,454 invested, assuming the payout remains unchanged. How To Earn $500 a Month From Pfizer Stock Ahead of Q3 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Pfizer is scheduled to report third-quarter results before the market open on November 3. The consensus forecast calls for earnings per share of $0.73 and revenue of $15.88 billion, making guidance and any changes to full-year expectations especially important. Top Wall Street Forecasters Revamp Pfizer Expectations Ahead Of Q3 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street views are mixed, while Goldman Sachs expects an essentially in-line quarter. The divided outlook increases the likelihood of a significant stock reaction if Pfizer’s results or pipeline commentary differ from expectations. Pfizer Q3 preview: Goldman sees in-line quarter, pipeline in focus
• Negative Sentiment: The expected $0.73 quarterly EPS would be below the year-earlier result, signaling continued earnings pressure even though projected revenue of $15.88 billion would represent a solid quarterly base. What to expect from Pfizer’s Q3 earnings

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on PFE. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Pfizer from $27.00 to $26.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 10th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Pfizer from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Monday, August 31st. HSBC raised their price target on Pfizer from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, September 10th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on Pfizer from $34.00 to $30.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of 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, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Pfizer currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $28.65.

Pfizer Profile

Pfizer Inc is a global biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes prescription medicines and vaccines. Its research activities span areas including oncology, internal medicine, inflammation and immunology, hospital care, infectious diseases and rare diseases.

The company’s portfolio includes medicines such as Eliquis, Ibrance, Prevnar and Vyndaqel, as well as vaccines including Comirnaty, Abrysvo and Prevnar. Pfizer also develops treatments through internal research, licensing agreements and collaborations with other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Founded in Brooklyn, New York, in 1849 by Charles Pfizer and Charles Erhart, Pfizer has grown into an international healthcare company serving patients and healthcare providers in markets around the world.