Activist investor Starboard Value has taken a $1 billion stake in beleaguered drugmaker Pfizer Inc. and is seeking a turnaround, the Wall Street Journal reported late Sunday.
Starboard Value has taken a significant stake in Pfizer, said people familiar with the matter. The drug giant's stock has dropped significantly since its 2021 COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
Starboard Value has amassed a roughly $1 billion stake in drugmaker Pfizer, according to people familiar with the matter. The activist fund run by Jeff Smith is looking to tap former Pfizer CEO Ian Read and ex-finance chief Frank D'Amelio, although it is unclear in what capacity.
The drugmaker's shares have slumped as demand for Covid-19 vaccines and treatments has slowed.
Pfizer's stock has delivered a 5% total return since early July, outperforming the broader U.S. market, reinforcing my bullish stance. The latest quarterly earnings showed YoY revenue growth, marking the first growth since FQ4 2022. My dividend discount model suggests that Pfizer's stock is extremely undervalued.
Pfizer has prepared for today's challenges
In the closing of the recent trading day, Pfizer (PFE) stood at $28.61, denoting a -0.21% change from the preceding trading day.
A 5.8% forward-dividend yield is just one reason the hedge fund manager likes this stock.
Pfizer withdrew its sickle cell disease treatment Oxbryta. Meanwhile, Senators introduce new bill to fortify health-care cybersecurity following major attacks.
Pfizer's stock has declined by 50% over several years, yet it maintains a nearly 6% dividend yield, making it a valuable long-term investment. The company's quarterly performance includes $13.3 billion in revenue, $2.7 billion in R&D expenditures, and a $0.6 adjusted EPS, with respectable growth. Pfizer's oncology investments, including the $40 billion Seagen acquisition, show substantial YoY revenue growth and a robust pipeline of new drugs.
Everybody loves dividends, essentially investors' form of payday. And these companies have been paying shareholders consistently for years.
Pfizer offloaded shares worth roughly $3.26 billion in Haleon at 380 pence apiece, cutting its stake to 15% in the world's largest standalone consumer healthcare firm, a bookrunner said on Tuesday.