Whitener Capital Management Increases Stake in Pfizer Inc.

Whitener Capital Management Inc. has significantly increased its investment in Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) by 42.1% during the fourth quarter, according to their latest report filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Following this increase, Whitener Capital Management now owns 74,790 shares of Pfizer, having purchased an additional 22,145 shares in the same quarter. As of the most recent filing, these holdings are valued at approximately $1,984,000.

Changes in Institutional Investment

Other institutional investors have also adjusted their positions in Pfizer. For instance, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. expanded its holdings by 11.0% during the third quarter and currently owns 130,143,942 shares, valued at $3,766,366,000, after adding 12,864,343 shares in the past quarter. Moreover, Marshall Wace LLP reported a dramatic increase in its stake by 279.3%, now holding 5,378,173 shares worth $150,481,000 after acquiring an extra 8,378,173 shares. Furthermore, UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its position by 22.4%, now owning 38,068,879 shares valued at $1,101,713,000 following a purchase of 6,977,587 shares. International Assets Investment Management LLC initiated a new stake worth $146,481,000 during the third quarter. In addition, BNP Paribas Asset Management Holding S.A. raised its holdings by 164.2%, bringing its total to 7,316,405 shares valued at $211,737,000. Currently, institutional investors control 68.36% of Pfizer’s stock.

Analyst Opinions

Different analysts have shared insights regarding Pfizer's stock. For example, StockNews.com downgraded Pfizer from a "strong-buy" to a "buy" rating on November 20th. UBS Group lowered its price target from $31.00 to $29.00, maintaining a "neutral" stance on the stock. Additionally, Wolfe Research has assigned an "underperform" rating with a price target set at $25.00. Truist Financial also decreased their price objective from $36.00 to $32.00 while keeping a "buy" recommendation. Lastly, Citigroup began coverage, giving the stock a "neutral" rating and a target price of $30.00. Overall, one analyst rates the stock as a sell, eight give it a hold recommendation, six suggest buying, and two indicate a strong buy. The consensus rating for Pfizer is currently categorized as a "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $32.00.

Insider Trading Activity

In insider trading news, Director Scott Gottlieb purchased 1,000 shares on October 30th at an average price of $28.24 per share, totaling $28,240. Following this transaction, he owns a total of 10,000 shares valued at $282,400. This trade represents an 11.11% increase in his ownership. The transaction details were disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. As it stands, corporate insiders own a minimal 0.06% of the company's stock.

Stock Performance Overview

As of Friday, shares of Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) opened at $26.30. The company has a market capitalization of $149.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.55, and a P/E/G ratio of 0.64, with a beta of 0.64. The stock has hit a fifty-two week low of $24.48 and a high of $31.54. Some key financial ratios include a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 0.73, and a current ratio of 1.00. Pfizer's moving averages stand at $26.09 for the last 50 days and $28.00 over the past 200 days.

Recent Earnings Report

On October 29th, Pfizer released its quarterly earnings, reporting an earnings per share (EPS) of $1.06, surpassing the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.42. The company achieved a net margin of 7.07% and a return on equity of 16.28%. The revenue for the quarter was reported at $17.70 billion, exceeding expectations of $14.92 billion, reflecting a 31.2% year-over-year increase. Analysts predict that Pfizer will post an EPS of 2.94 for the current fiscal year.

Dividend Announcement

Pfizer has announced a quarterly dividend of $0.43, scheduled for payment on March 7th to shareholders of record as of January 24th. This is an increase from the prior quarterly dividend of $0.42, translating into an annualized dividend of $1.72 and a yield of 6.54%. The company's dividend payout ratio currently stands at 227.03%.

Company Overview

Pfizer Inc. focuses on discovering, developing, and manufacturing biopharmaceutical products both in the United States and globally. The company offers a wide range of medicines and vaccines across various therapeutic areas like cardiovascular, migraine, and women’s health. Notable brands include Eliquis, Nurtec ODT/Vydura, and Comirnaty among others.

Pfizer, Investment, Stocks