Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) ended Monday’s session on a strong note, then traded slightly lower after the closing bell as investors shifted their attention to the next major catalyst: Pfizer’s scheduled analyst call Tuesday morning, where management is expected to outline full-year 2026 financial guidance. [1]
In regular trading, Pfizer shares closed at $26.43, up 2.24% on the day. After hours, the stock was modestly lower, trading around $26.34 (down 0.34%) as of early evening. [2]
Below is what mattered most for Pfizer stock after the bell on Monday, December 15, 2025, and what investors typically want on their radar before the U.S. market opens Tuesday, December 16.
Pfizer stock after the bell: the closing snapshot investors are reacting to
Pfizer’s Monday move stood out because it came on a broadly mixed market day: the S&P 500 slipped, while PFE extended its recent streak higher. [3]
Key trading points from Monday:
- Close: $26.43 (+2.24%) [4]
- After-hours (early read): ~$26.34 (-0.34%) [5]
- Day range: roughly $25.79 to $26.64
- Volume: about 60 million shares, below the stock’s recent average (per MarketWatch) [6]
- Distance from 52-week high: still below the $27.69 52-week high set Oct. 3 [7]
This sets up a familiar “setup” heading into a catalyst: a strong regular-session rally, followed by relatively calm after-hours positioning while traders wait for Tuesday morning’s guidance headlines.
The biggest Pfizer headlines from today that traders digested
1) Pfizer’s new autoimmune research tie-up (up to $890M in milestones)
One of the most concrete pieces of company-specific news Monday was a newly announced partnership involving Adaptive Biotechnologies and Pfizer, tied to rheumatoid arthritis research and immune-related discovery work.
Reuters reported Adaptive signed two non-exclusive agreements with Pfizer, including one where Adaptive could earn up to about $890 million in upfront and milestone payments tied to an RA program, plus a separate multi-year data licensing arrangement involving Adaptive’s T-cell receptor dataset aimed at supporting AI-driven drug discovery. [8]
Fierce Biotech’s deal coverage reinforced the core structure: Pfizer would handle development and commercialization of any therapies that emerge, while Adaptive contributes platform-driven discovery work and data assets, with significant “biobucks” potential over time. [9]
Why it matters for PFE: While early-stage collaborations rarely move Pfizer’s stock on their own (Pfizer’s scale is enormous), today’s agreement fits a narrative investors watch closely in 2025: how Pfizer replenishes growth through pipeline execution and external innovation ahead of multi-year exclusivity headwinds. [10]
2) A late-day regulatory overhang on COVID vaccines looked less severe—at least for now
Another market-relevant headline Monday was a Reuters report stating the FDA has no plans to add the most serious “black box” warning to COVID-19 vaccines, per a Bloomberg News interview with FDA Commissioner Marty Makary. [11]
The story landed after recent reporting that such a warning might be in consideration. Reuters noted the FDA is still investigating safety concerns (including myocarditis-related issues) and flagged that U.S. vaccine access policy has changed—now more focused on older adults and higher-risk groups. [12]
Why it matters for PFE: Even though COVID revenue is no longer Pfizer’s main growth engine, policy and labeling headlines can still swing sentiment, especially for a high-volume, widely held “defensive” name like Pfizer.
3) “Guidance week” positioning: the market is trading the upcoming Tuesday call
The most important reason PFE stayed in focus today is the near-term calendar: Pfizer is scheduled to host an analyst call Tuesday morning to provide full-year 2026 financial guidance. [13]
A Reuters/Refinitiv market note (published via TradingView) highlighted that Pfizer shares were up during Monday’s session ahead of the call and cited consensus expectations (LSEG) of Q1 2026 EPS around $0.77 and FY 2026 EPS around $3.05. [14]
Translation: the market has a “number” in mind. Tuesday morning is about whether Pfizer prints guidance that beats, matches, or disappoints those expectations—and how credible the assumptions look.
Today’s forecasts and analyst takes: what Wall Street is saying right now
Bank of America: “Neutral,” with a $28 target and a “flattish” 2026 view
A widely circulated analyst note Monday came from Bank of America Securities, covered by Benzinga:
- Rating: Neutral
- Target: cut to $28 from $29
- Core view: 2026 may look “flattish,” with support coming more from expense discipline than top-line acceleration
- Key concern: a multi-year loss-of-exclusivity (LOE) cycle expected to run through 2029
- Pipeline watchlist items mentioned: MET-097 (obesity), antibody-drug conjugates, and Prevnar-25 [15]
This matters because it frames how many investors are approaching Tuesday: as a “prove it” moment for Pfizer’s post-COVID fundamentals.
Broader consensus: “Hold”-leaning with targets clustered in the high-$20s
MarketBeat’s roundup today also referenced BofA’s $28 target and described the broader analyst mix as skewing to Hold, with an average target around the high $20s. [16]
Separately, Quiver Quant’s analyst-tracker post logged the same BofA $28 target update as a fresh datapoint Monday. [17]
Options market pulse after the bell: short-term sentiment leaned bullish today
If you’re watching near-term trader positioning, options flow leaned upbeat.
TipRanks (via TheFly) reported above-normal call volume in Pfizer on Monday, with calls trading at about 1.3x expected volume and implied volatility ticking higher. The most active strikes included Dec-25 $29 calls and Dec-25 $26.5 calls, with a cited put/call ratio of 0.18—often read as a bullish tilt. [18]
Important caveat: options flow is not the same as fundamentals, and heavy call volume can reflect hedging as much as directional bets. Still, it’s a useful temperature check going into a premarket catalyst.
What to know before the stock market opens tomorrow (Tuesday, Dec. 16)
1) The headline risk is concentrated at 8:00 a.m. ET
Pfizer’s investor/analyst call is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025—well before the opening bell—meaning any guidance surprises can hit the stock in premarket trading. [19]
2) The “make-or-break” parts of guidance likely won’t be a single number
Investors typically focus on four buckets:
- Revenue and EPS guidance (and how it compares with consensus expectations) [20]
- Cost trajectory and savings credibility (Pfizer has leaned heavily on expense management in the post-COVID reset, and analysts are explicitly watching this) [21]
- Pipeline cadence (whether 2026 is truly “pipeline-light,” and which programs could change sentiment) [22]
- COVID franchise assumptions (even if smaller than before, COVID demand and policy headlines can still shape “confidence” in the model) [23]
3) Dividend continuity remains part of the “why own it” story
Even though it wasn’t new today, the dividend remains a key support cited by analysts and investors.
Pfizer’s board recently declared a $0.43 first-quarter 2026 dividend, payable March 6, 2026, to shareholders of record as of Jan. 23, 2026—and Pfizer described it as its 349th consecutive quarterly dividend. [24]
Given how many shareholders own Pfizer for yield and stability, dividend confidence often acts as a sentiment backstop—especially if Tuesday’s guidance sounds conservative.
The bottom line for PFE after hours
Pfizer stock finished Monday higher and traded slightly softer after hours, with markets clearly focused on one near-term question: what Pfizer says about 2026 Tuesday morning. [25]
Today’s news flow gave bulls and bears fresh ammunition:
- Bulls point to the steady bid into the close, constructive options flow, and continued dealmaking/pipeline rebuilding. [26]
- Bears point to the LOE/patent headwinds and the idea that 2026 could look like another “grind it out” year unless Pfizer can show clearer growth catalysts. [27]
References
1. finance.yahoo.com, 2. finance.yahoo.com, 3. www.marketwatch.com, 4. finance.yahoo.com, 5. finance.yahoo.com, 6. www.marketwatch.com, 7. www.marketwatch.com, 8. www.reuters.com, 9. www.fiercebiotech.com, 10. www.benzinga.com, 11. www.reuters.com, 12. www.reuters.com, 13. www.pfizer.com, 14. www.tradingview.com, 15. www.benzinga.com, 16. www.marketbeat.com, 17. www.quiverquant.com, 18. www.tipranks.com, 19. investors.pfizer.com, 20. www.tradingview.com, 21. www.benzinga.com, 22. www.benzinga.com, 23. www.reuters.com, 24. www.pfizer.com, 25. finance.yahoo.com, 26. www.tipranks.com, 27. www.benzinga.com
