NEW YORK, March 13, 2026, 16:22 EDT
Pfizer Inc. slipped about 1% to close at $26.60 on Friday, landing near the session’s low as investors digested fresh developments in the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine landscape and a boost for blood thinner Eliquis. The pressure came after GSK announced the FDA had expanded Arexvy’s approval to include at-risk adults 18 to 49. Meanwhile, separate results highlighted strong outcomes for Eliquis in treating serious blood clots.
That’s notable, as Pfizer is still working to put its growth narrative back together after COVID-era sales cratered. Back in December, management projected 2026 revenue between $59.5 billion and $62.5 billion, with adjusted EPS in the $2.80 to $3.00 range. The guidance factors in a drop in COVID sales and about $1.5 billion in lost revenue from products going off-patent.
The decline unfolded against a softer market backdrop. Wall Street finished Friday in the red, pressured by stubbornly high oil prices and unease over the Iran conflict, which some fear could stoke inflation. That’s put extra scrutiny on companies whose returns won’t materialize for years.
GSK’s latest approval narrows Pfizer’s lead on the regulatory front. Pfizer’s Abrysvo got the FDA nod in October 2024 for adults 18 to 59 facing higher risk from severe RSV, but the CDC still restricts its vaccine guidance to people 75 and up, plus those 50 to 74 who are more vulnerable. GSK noted its expanded label won’t see wider use among 18-to-49-year-olds unless the CDC updates its recommendation.
The Eliquis results pointed in the opposite direction. According to The New England Journal of Medicine, the Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb drug was tied to clinically significant bleeding in 3.3% of acute venous thrombosis patients—those with blood clots in the legs or lungs—compared to 7.1% for Johnson & Johnson’s Xarelto. Rates of clot recurrence showed no clear separation between the two.
On Thursday, management stuck with its overarching turnaround message. During Pfizer’s 2025 annual review, Chief Executive Albert Bourla highlighted “improved productivity and margins” following efforts to streamline operations—pointing to cost reductions as a buffer for the company’s softer revenue, a familiar theme from leadership. Pfizer
Views on the stock’s upside diverge. Back in December, JPMorgan’s Chris Schott pointed to “modest EPS upside through the year” if cost-cutting stays on track. Still, Bernstein’s Courtney Breen flagged that the shares probably won’t “break out of its current mid-20s price range” until investors get a better sense of growth. Pfizer finished Friday squarely within that range. Reuters
The short-term outlook remains tangled. Pfizer doesn’t foresee a return to revenue growth before 2029, and in January, Bourla warned things would stay choppy with patent cliffs, declining COVID sales, and pressure from government pricing. With a market cap near $135 billion, the stock still looks like investors are waiting for firmer evidence before they’re willing to buy in.
