Pfizer Inc (PFE) declares a $0.32/share quarterly dividend which is a 6.7% increase from its prior dividend of $0.30. The forward yield is now 3.94% and payable March 1, for shareholders of record on Feb. 3. The ex-dividend date is Feb. 1.
Pfizer Inc. discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells healthcare products worldwide. The company operates through Global Innovative Pharmaceutical (GIP); Global Vaccines, Oncology and Consumer Healthcare (VOC); and Global Established Pharmaceutical (GEP) segments. The GIP segment develops and commercializes medicines for various therapeutic areas, including inflammation/immunology, cardiovascular/metabolic, neuroscience/pain, and rare diseases. The VOC segment develops and commercializes vaccines, as well as products for oncology and consumer healthcare. It provides over-the-counter products comprising dietary supplements under the Centrum, Caltrate, and Emergen-C brands; pain management products under the Advil and ThermaCare brands; gastrointestinal products under the Nexium 24HR/Nexium Control and Preparation H brands; and respiratory and personal care products under the brand names of Robitussin, Advil Cold & Sinus, Advil Sinus Congestion Relief & Pain, Dimetapp, and ChapStick. The GEP segment offers products that have lost marketing exclusivity in various markets; and branded generics, generic sterile injectable products, biosimilars, infusion systems, and other products. The company serves wholesalers, retailers, hospitals, clinics, government agencies, pharmacies, and individual provider offices, as well as centers for disease control and prevention. It has licensing agreements with Cellectis SA and AstraZeneca PLC; collaborative agreements with Eli Lilly & Company, OPKO Health, Inc., BioRap Technologies LTD., Merck KGaA, and Transgene S.A.; and a research and development agreement with the National Cancer Institute to conduct clinical trials to evaluate investigational immunotherapy agents. The company has a partnership with The University of Pittsburgh to develop a computational model to identify the drivers of schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and related brain diseases. Pfizer Inc. was founded in 1849 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
(Summary) (Company) (Chart)
12 December 2016 Price $32.40 1yr Target $37.85 Analysts 20 Dividend $1.20 Payout Ratio 120.00% 1yr Cap Gain 16.82% Yield 3.70% 1yr Tot Return 20.52% P/E 32.34 PEG 4.87 Beta 0.89 | EPS (ttm) $1.00 EPS next yr $2.63 Forward P/E 12.34 EPS next 5yr 6.63% 1yr Price Support $17.43 Market Cap $196.54 Bil Revenues $53.24 Bil Earnings $6.18 Bil Profit Margin 11.60% Quick Ratio 0.90 Current Ratio 1.10 Debt/Equity 0.70 | 1yr RevGR -1.53% 3yr RevGR -3.63% 5yr RevGR -5.61% 1yr EarnGR -21.84% 3yr EarnGR -16.83% 5yr EarnGR 1.70% 1yr DivGR 7.54% 3yr DivGR 8.11% 5yr DivGR 9.02% ROA 3.60% ROE 9.70% |
With Pfizer's recent dividend increase, the annual dividend is now back to where it was 2008. That's not a great consolation for those investors who have held the stock through the years, but it is cause for reconsideration of an investment in the company. Management is obviously trying to turn around a huge company and looking at the fundamentals, they may finally be getting somewhere. The recent dividend increase, as well as the previous 7 dividend increases, in indicative of a management team that has confidence in the future of the company. As an investor in large cap stocks, a great management team means a lot.
That said, for me its time to consider initiating a position in the company. I would love to buy these shares at $30 per share but I think that ship has sailed. Over the last year investors have had a couple of chances to buy these at that level but that may not happen again, especially since they just raised their dividend. So I think at today's price I consider this to be an acceptable price for me to pay.
I expect to start with a small position, add to that position on any pullback, sell options on any position I obtain, and institute a dividend reinvestment strategy for additional shares. As long as the stock price continues higher and the dividends are increased annually, I'll keep holding these shares as well as add to that position.