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Wednesday's Bonus News Pfizer Adds to Its Big Bet on Weight Loss DrugsWritten by Jordan Chussler. Published 12/16/2025. 
Key Points - The health care sector has led the S&P 500 over the three months, but Pfizer has lagged of late, slipping 5% since the start of October.
- As the Big Pharma company continues to struggle to replace COVID-19 vaccine revenue, it is heavily learning into the semaglutide and GLP-1 weight loss drug trend.
- Last week, the company signed a $2.1 billion licensing agreement with a Chinese pharma company to develop its early-stage weight loss pill.
Health care stocks have been on a run lately, leading the S&P 500's 11 sectors over the past three months with a gain of 11.55%. Unfortunately for some investors, that recent rally has not included all of the Big Pharma mainstays. Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), the maker of Chantix, Eliquis and Paxlovid, has seen its shares slide 5% since the start of October. By comparison, other mega-cap pharmaceutical companies such as Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: REGN), and Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) are up nearly 14%, 24%, and 25%, respectively, over the same time frame. New Hampshire just launched a Strategic Crypto Reserve — and James Altucher says it's the first sign that "Trump's Great Gain" has officially begun.
Altucher believes select cryptos could turn $900 into $108,000 over the next 12 months — and he's laying out the full gameplan in a new presentation. See Altucher's Trump crypto prediction here Despite Pfizer making headlines on Nov. 13 after acquiring obesity biotech Metsera in a $10 billion deal, the stock has only mustered a 0.23% gain since then. The nearly 177-year-old biopharma company is once again looking to expand its role in the weight loss drug market, with management and shareholders alike hoping that doing so can help recover revenue lost as demand for mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines has waned. Pfizer Looks to Gain Market Share After Enormous Deal With YaoPharma On Tuesday, Dec. 9, Pfizer struck a $2.1 billion licensing deal with China's YaoPharma to develop a GLP-1 weight-loss pill that is in early-stage development. The drug works similarly to Wegovy, the game-changing weight-loss injection from competitor Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO). News of a yet-to-be-approved weight-loss pill may not move the stock immediately, but it does reflect the company's commitment and momentum in the obesity treatment market. The agreement includes a $150 million upfront fee from Pfizer to YaoPharma's parent company, Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical, which has an $8.4 billion market cap. Additionally, Pfizer could pay YaoPharma up to $1.94 billion in milestone payments if the drug progresses toward approval, plus royalty payments on sales if it is ultimately approved. Those milestone payments will be contingent upon YaoPharma successfully navigating the weight-loss pill through phase one trials, with Pfizer taking control of later-stage development. Pfizer also plans to conduct combination studies—currently in mid-stage development—using the Chinese firm's pill alongside its own GIP gut-hormone receptor agent, a strategy Eli Lilly has adopted with its weight-loss drug Zepbound and its diabetes drug Mounjaro that targets both GLP-1 and GIP. Pfizer Is Positioning Itself for the Future of the Weight-Loss Drug Market The deal underscores how aggressively Pfizer's executive team is pursuing a more prominent, long-term position in the GLP-1 and broader obesity treatment market. Pfizer's leadership has shown it is willing to invest roughly $10.1 billion over the past month to that end as it eyes a massively growing industry. Forecasts from market analysis firm Grand View Research suggest the GLP-1 weight-loss drug market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.54% from 2025 to 2030, expanding from less than $14 billion at the start of this year to an estimated $48.84 billion by 2030. Grand View Research found that North America accounts for the largest revenue share, with more than 75% of the GLP-1 agonists market. While other obesity interventions exist—such as lifestyle changes and bariatric surgery—GLP-1 drugs remain the preferred option among many physicians and patients. Patient Investors Can Enjoy PFE's Sizable Dividend Shareholders are hoping Pfizer's push into the weight-loss market proves fruitful after the stock has declined more than 31% over the past five years. Much of that weakness stems from the drop in COVID-vaccine sales, which sent revenue growth from more than 95% at the end of 2021 to a decline of more than 41% by the end of 2023. Last year, Pfizer rebounded modestly, reporting a nearly 7% increase in revenue. Meanwhile, the stock's yield has helped offset some investors' concerns. Pfizer remains a strong dividend payer with a current yield of 6.65%—or $1.72 per share annually. That payout has increased for 16 consecutive years, making the stock popular with income investors despite the 100% dividend payout ratio drawing some scrutiny. For investors willing to take a longer view while watching the near- and mid-term prospects for prescription weight-loss drugs, Pfizer will continue to provide income and serve as a speculative way to gain exposure to the GLP-1 industry. However, growth-focused investors may be uneasy after another year of lackluster performance. Analysts' average 12-month price target implies a bit more than 10% potential upside from the current share price, alongside a consensus Hold rating. Meanwhile, short interest has been steadily rising as the stock continues to attract Wall Street's bears. Currently, $3.58 billion worth of the float is shorted—or nearly 84% more than PFE's short position at the end of January 2025.
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