Pfizer (PFE) Stock Soars on Trump’s Drug-Price Pact and $7.3B Weight-Loss Deal

Stock price (Sep 30, 2025): ~$24.40 ^[1], near its 52-week low. Pfizer’s trailing P/E is ~12.6× ^[2] and dividend yield ~7.2% ^[3] – both extreme vs. peers (see table).
Q2 2025 results: Revenue $14.7B (+10% YoY operational) and adjusted EPS $0.78 ^[4], topping consensus by ~$0.20 ^[5]. Management raised full-year EPS guidance to $2.90–3.10 ^[6], reflecting strong execution and cost savings (Bourla and Denton highlighted “strong quarter of focused execution” ^[7] ^[8]).
Government/Policy news: President Trump announced that Pfizer will cut U.S. drug prices under a new pact ^[9] and sell some medicines via a new TrumpRx website ^[10]. Pfizer will also sell select drugs through Medicaid at lower prices ^[11]. Trump touted Pfizer’s $70B R&D/manufacturing pledge ^[12]. These moves – first-of-their-kind price commitments – came just before a Sept 30 White House announcement.
Pipeline/Regulatory: The FDA approved Pfizer/BioNTech’s updated COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty LP.8.1 formula) for older adults and high-risk groups ^[13]; on the same day FDA withdrew the old EUA ^[14]. Phase-3 data showed the new vaccine elicits a ≥4× rise in neutralizing antibodies ^[15]. In oncology, new data from ESMO 2025 underscored Pfizer’s strength: e.g. the EV-303 trial (enfortumab+pembrolizumab in bladder cancer) and the EMBARK trial (Xtandi in prostate cancer) both showed significant survival gains ^[16].
Strategic deals: In Sept 2025 Pfizer agreed to buy Metsera for $4.9B upfront (up to $7.3B with milestones) ^[17] ^[18], adding four obesity drug programs. Metsera’s lead GLP-1 agonist (MET-097i) and amylin analog (MET-233i) are designed for monthly dosing ^[19] ^[20]. Early Phase-2 results (14.1% weight loss over 28 weeks) and expert enthusiasm (UNC’s John Buse calls MET-097i “remarkable” ^[21]) suggest these could rival big competitors. Pfizer also licensed oncology assets: a $1.25B deal (plus development funding) with 3SBio for SSGJ‑707, a PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody ^[22] ^[23].
Analyst insight: Wall Street’s consensus is Hold ^[24], with 12-month price targets in the high-$20s (avg. ~$28–29 ^[25]). For example, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley recently set neutral ratings with targets ~$27–33 ^[26]. Analysts note Pfizer’s valuation is cheap (low P/E, high yield) but caution on pricing and sales declines post-pandemic. Leerink analyst David Risinger projects >$5B peak sales for Metsera’s obesity drugs ^[27], and Pfizer CSO Chris Boshoff emphasized that “well tolerated monthly dosing could have huge advantages” for patients ^[28]. Consensus forecasts expect FY2025 EPS ~$2.95 ^[29], in line with raised guidance.

Stock Performance (Sep 2025)

On Sept 30, 2025 Pfizer closed around $24.40 ^[30]. Over the past year PFE underperformed the pharma sector (latest 52-week range ~$20.91–30.43 ^[31]). Its trailing P/E is 12.64× ^[32] (ex. special items) and forward P/E ~7.7× ^[33], compared to ~19× for J&J and ~12× for Merck (see table). Pfizer’s dividend yield (~7.2%) ^[34] is by far the highest in big pharma (JNJ ~2.9%, MRK ~4.1%). The stock rallied on strong earnings in early August ^[35] ^[36] and on the Sept 30 Trump pricing news.

Q2 2025 Financial Results and Corporate Updates

Pfizer reported Q2 2025 revenue $14.7 billion (10% operational growth) ^[37] and adjusted EPS $0.78, well above consensus. The company reaffirmed 2025 revenue guidance ($61–64B) and raised EPS guidance by $0.10 to $2.90–3.10 ^[38], absorbing a one-time charge from the 3SBio deal. CEO Albert Bourla commented Pfizer had “another strong quarter of focused execution” ^[39], and CFO David Denton said robust results justified the higher guidance ^[40]. Pfizer also highlighted cost savings from its turnaround program (target $7.2B net by 2027 ^[41]).

In other developments, Pfizer returned $4.9B to shareholders via dividends in H1 2025 ^[42] and continued share buybacks. Management pointed to multiple late-stage R&D successes (e.g. positive Phase-3 readouts for Braftovi in colon cancer and Xtandi in prostate cancer ^[43]). Recent filings show Pfizer pursuing opportunistic debt reduction and portfolio optimization.

Government Pricing Deal and Other News

In late September 2025, Pfizer was in the spotlight of U.S. drug policy. President Trump announced that Pfizer would voluntarily cut prices on several medications in the U.S. ^[44]. Pfizer agreed to sell some of its drugs to Medicaid at lower, “most-favored-nation” prices ^[45] and to launch sales of certain medicines directly to consumers via a new “TrumpRx” website ^[46]. The White House also highlighted Pfizer’s plan for a $70 billion boost to R&D and domestic manufacturing ^[47]. These announcements came on Sept 30, 2025, as Trump pushed for lower drug costs. The pricing deal is historic (Pfizer is the first company to commit so far) and has been cited as a catalyst for near-term stock moves ^[48] ^[49].

In parallel, global drug pricing and regulatory pressures remain high. Recent discussions (e.g. EU negotiations on drug prices) and U.S. “Most Favored Nation” proposals are shaping Pfizer’s pricing outlook. Investor reaction: on the day of the announcement, PFE stock ticked higher by ~2–3% intraday ^[50], reflecting some relief from uncertainty.

Drug Pipeline and FDA Updates

Pfizer’s pipeline showed progress in 2025. On Aug 27, 2025, FDA approved Pfizer/BioNTech’s updated COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty LP.8.1 formula) for adults 65+ and others at high risk ^[51]. This new seasonal shot targets the latest variants, and shipments began immediately ^[52]. The FDA simultaneously withdrawn the EUA for the older vaccine formulation ^[53], as expected. Pfizer/BioNTech reported that Phase-3 trials of the LP.8.1 vaccine generated a ≥4-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies after vaccination ^[54], supporting efficacy against subvariants. By late September, 5 billion total doses of Pfizer’s COVID vaccine have been distributed globally ^[55].

In oncology and other areas, Pfizer presented several late-stage results. At ESMO 2025 (Sept 2025), Pfizer highlighted key wins: enfortumab vedotin + Keytruda (EV-303) showed significantly improved survival in bladder cancer, and Xtandi (enzalutamide) extended survival in non-metastatic prostate cancer ^[56]. Pfizer also continues to advance vaccines (e.g. Prevnar pediatric programs) and rare disease R&D (e.g. new gene therapies in early stages). Overall, management says these data “redefine standards of care” for patients ^[57].

Partnerships and Strategic Deals

Pfizer has actively partnered and acquired to bolster its pipeline. In July 2025 it closed an exclusive license deal with 3SBio: Pfizer gained global (ex-China) rights to SSGJ-707, a bispecific PD‑1/VEGF antibody. The deal involves ~$1.25B upfront and substantial downstream payments ^[58] ^[59]. This adds a promising immuno-oncology candidate (with positive Phase-2 lung cancer data) to Pfizer’s portfolio ^[60].

In September 2025 Pfizer agreed to acquire Metsera Inc. (a private biopharma) for $4.9B upfront (up to $7.3B including milestones) ^[61] ^[62]. Metsera’s pipeline targets obesity: its lead products are MET‑097i (a long-acting GLP-1 agonist) and MET‑233i (an amylin analog), both designed for monthly dosing ^[63]. These candidates showed strong Phase-2 results: a high-dose weekly MET-097i arm achieved a 14.1% average weight loss after 28 weeks ^[64]. Pfizer CEO Bourla said this deal “propels Pfizer into a key therapeutic area with potentially best-in-class efficacy” ^[65]. Analysts like Leerink’s David Risinger forecast > $5B in peak sales from these obesity drugs ^[66]. Pfizer’s Chief Scientific Officer Chris Boshoff commented that “well tolerated monthly dosing could have huge advantages” for patients ^[67].

Other deals: Pfizer closed on the 3SBio license (above) and continues collaborations with BioNTech (for influenza/mRNA vaccines) and Astellas (for EV-303/Padcev). It also divested some legacy assets (e.g. sold Xeljanz EU rights to EMD Serono in 2024) to streamline its focus.

Analyst Insight and Market Outlook

Most analysts are neutral to cautiously optimistic on Pfizer. Data aggregators report an average “Hold” rating and a 12-month target in the high-$20s ^[68]. For example, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup have maintained ~$26–33 targets on PFE ^[69]. MarketBeat notes roughly 11 hold and 6 buy ratings, consensus target ~$28 ^[70]. Those bullish on Pfizer point to its undervalued metrics and new growth engines (vaccines, obesity, oncology) ^[71] ^[72]. Critics highlight the decline of COVID revenues and looming price pressures from government policy.

Reportedly, Pfizer’s guidance implies 2025 EPS around $2.95, which analysts see as conservative but credible ^[73]. Some forecasts show moderate upside (2026 consensus ~$27–30) as new products ramp up. A recent MarketBeat note said Wall Street Zen just downgraded Pfizer from “Buy” to “Hold,” reflecting tempered near-term sentiment, but average analyst targets suggest ~20% upside ^[74] ^[75]. In short, most models see Pfizer as fairly valued here given its stable cash flows and high dividend, with key drivers being successful new drug launches and regulatory outcomes.

Financial Metrics vs. Peers

Metric	Pfizer (PFE)	J&J (JNJ)	Merck (MRK)	BMS (BMY)
Stock Price (9/30/25)	$24.40 ^[76]	$181.58 ^[77]	$79.15 ^[78]	$44.98 ^[79]
P/E (TTM, excl. extras)	12.64× ^[80]	19.22× ^[81]	12.11× ^[82]	17.80× ^[83]
Dividend Yield	7.24% ^[84]	2.89% ^[85]	4.12% ^[86]	5.62% ^[87]

The table shows how PFE’s valuation stands out: its low P/E and high yield contrast sharply with industry peers (Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Bristol-Myers) ^[88] ^[89] ^[90]. Even given recent stock weakness, most analysts see Pfizer’s fundamentals as solid, expecting mid-single-digit annual growth from new products.

In summary, as of Sept 30, 2025 Pfizer is a dividend-rich pharma giant with improving earnings and a bolstered pipeline. Its stock has been pressured by post-pandemic headwinds and pricing policies, but key upcoming catalysts include execution on new therapies and government drug cost reforms. With strong cash flow and ongoing buybacks/dividends, many investors consider PFE a defensive value play, pending the success of its latest strategic initiatives ^[91] ^[92].

Sources: Reuters, Pfizer press releases, and major financial outlets ^[93] ^[94] ^[95] ^[96] ^[97] ^[98] ^[99] (see citations).