Opinicus Capital Inc. Lowers Stock Holdings in Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE)

Opinicus Capital Inc. decreased its stake in Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) by 10.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 15,652 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 1,834 shares during the period. Opinicus Capital Inc.’s holdings in Pfizer were worth $397,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in Pfizer during the fourth quarter worth $2,328,986,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Pfizer by 19.5% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 155,459,101 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $4,124,330,000 after buying an additional 25,315,159 shares in the last quarter. Starboard Value LP acquired a new stake in Pfizer during the fourth quarter valued at $407,730,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Pfizer during the 4th quarter worth $274,694,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its holdings in Pfizer by 307.5% in the 1st quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 10,046,340 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $254,574,000 after purchasing an additional 7,581,030 shares during the last quarter. 68.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Pfizer Stock Up 1.5%

Pfizer stock opened at $24.85 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $141.28 billion, a PE ratio of 17.62, a PEG ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 0.57. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $23.01 and its 200 day moving average is $24.97. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. Pfizer Inc. has a 12-month low of $20.92 and a 12-month high of $31.54.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.25. Pfizer had a net margin of 12.62% and a return on equity of 19.47%. The firm had revenue of $13.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.43 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.82 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pfizer Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Investors of record on Friday, May 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.43 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 9th. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.92%. Pfizer’s dividend payout ratio is 124.64%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PFE has been the topic of a number of research reports. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Hsbc Global Res upgraded shares of Pfizer to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Pfizer from $24.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Pfizer in a research note on Tuesday, March 18th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage on Pfizer in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $24.00 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $29.17.

Pfizer Company Profile

Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company offers medicines and vaccines in various therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular metabolic, migraine, and women's health under the Eliquis, Nurtec ODT/Vydura, Zavzpret, and the Premarin family brands; infectious diseases with unmet medical needs under the Prevnar family, Abrysvo, Nimenrix, FSME/IMMUN-TicoVac, and Trumenba brands; and COVID-19 prevention and treatment, and potential future mRNA and antiviral products under the Comirnaty and Paxlovid brands.