Zacks Research Downgrades Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) to Strong Sell

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) was downgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

PFE has been the subject of several other research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $26.00 target price on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Pfizer from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, September 28th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Pfizer in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. UBS Group began coverage on Pfizer in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $25.00 price target for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Pfizer from $32.00 to $28.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $28.06.

Pfizer Stock Down 1.9%

Shares of NYSE PFE traded down $0.52 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $25.98. The stock had a trading volume of 21,138,497 shares, compared to its average volume of 48,314,242. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $25.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $25.01. Pfizer has a 52 week low of $20.92 and a 52 week high of $27.69. The company has a market capitalization of $147.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.13 and a beta of 0.47. 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 (NYSE:PFE) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $16.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.94 billion. Pfizer had a return on equity of 20.17% and a net margin of 15.65%.Pfizer has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.000-3.150 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Pfizer will post 2.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pfizer

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PFE. Triad Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Pfizer by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Triad Wealth Partners LLC now owns 20,466 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $510,000 after purchasing an additional 386 shares during the last quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department raised its position in Pfizer by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 46,103 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,118,000 after purchasing an additional 395 shares during the last quarter. ETF Store Inc. lifted its position in shares of Pfizer by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. ETF Store Inc. now owns 10,913 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $272,000 after purchasing an additional 396 shares during the period. Mattern Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Pfizer by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. Mattern Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,161 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $228,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the period. Finally, Peak Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Pfizer by 1.4% during the second quarter. Peak Asset Management LLC now owns 28,768 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $697,000 after acquiring an additional 402 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.36% of the company’s stock.

Pfizer News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target on PFE to $27 from $24, providing a near-term bullish catalyst and supporting analyst-driven upside. Why Is Pfizer Stock Rising Tuesday?
• Positive Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece reiterated a bullish stance, arguing longer-term fundamentals and strategic initiatives remain attractive despite near-term headwinds. Pfizer: The Great Healthcare Plan Does Not Change My Bullish Stance
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces highlight Pfizer’s rising use of debt and leverage metrics — a flagged risk to monitor but not an immediate catalyst by itself. These 4 Measures Indicate That Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) Is Using Debt Extensively
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentaries and company coverage pieces (earnings previews, peer comparisons, CEO profile) are circulating; they provide context but contain mixed views rather than a single directional trigger. Pfizer vs. Merck Stock And JNJ
• Negative Sentiment: The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services named several Pfizer drugs on its third-round list for Medicare Drug Price Negotiation (2028), increasing potential pricing pressure and margin risk for listed products. US Medicare names Eli Lilly, Pfizer and AbbVie drugs for next Medicare price talks
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded PFE from “hold” to “strong sell,” which can amplify selling pressure from retail and model-driven funds. Zacks.com
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings previews warn Q4 results may decline versus last year, raising the risk of an earnings miss or muted guidance that could weigh on sentiment. Earnings Preview: Pfizer (PFE) Q4 Earnings Expected to Decline
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive risk: Aclaris reported early hair-loss results that outperformed Pfizer’s Litfulo in preclinical models, a reminder of clinical/commercial threats in key franchises. Aclaris Hair Loss Drug Shows Faster Results Than Pfizer’s Drug

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.