Pfizer's second-quarter revenue fell 54% to $12.7bn, driven largely by decreases in sales of COVID-19 products. Excluding COVID-19 revenue, revenues from operations were up by 5%.
Underlying net profit was also down sharply, falling 67% to $3.8bn.
Narrower than expected marketing approvals of certain products means full year revenue guidance has been reined in slightly to $67bn to $70bn. The upper end was previously $71bn.
Pfizer raised $31bn of fresh debt in the period to part-finance the proposed acquisition of oncology biotech company Seagen.
A third quarter dividend of $0.41 was announced last month.
The shares closed down 1.3% following the announcement.
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Our view
Pfizer is one of the world's largest Pharmaceutical companies. Sales and profits have fallen sharply so far this year as demand for products to prevent and treat COVID-19 has dried up. And with declines expected to continue the group's been looking at ways to refresh the product pipeline. This involves heavy investment in research & development.
And whilst we're seeing modest growth elsewhere in the business, so far it's not been enough to restore investor confidence. With this in mind we'd like to see more clarity on plans to cut costs. We're encouraged that management is looking at efficiencies in the COVID-19 cost base, rather than Pfizer's growth areas. But no decisions have yet been made.
Further ahead there are other threats to revenues as some key blockbuster medicines, approach the so-called patent cliff. Between 2025 and 2030, the company is facing the loss of exclusivity over several key products which together account for around $17bn of revenue. As a case in point, sales of Pfizer's Viagra fell by over 75% in the 7 years following loss of exclusivity outside of the United States.
Pfizer's banking on its ambitious research program and continuing acquisition spree to make a big impact on revenues by the end of the decade. However, we caution that there remain significant hurdles to success including take up by patients, and regulatory approvals. Pfizer's R&D hit rate is higher than most. Still, only about 1 in 5 make it from pre-clinical research all the way through to regulatory approval. And whilst Pfizer's program of product launches is broadly on track, there have been a few delays along the way.
Another risk is legislative action on drug pricing, and the length of time developers retain exclusivity over certain treatments, which remain firmly under the microscope of US politicians.
Pfizer's expected to significantly increase net debt this year, reflecting the reduction in profitability and continued high levels of research spend. At under one times forecasted cash profits it's still not too much of a worry.
However, that's likely to jump further on the closure of Pfizer's proposed $43bn acquisition of cancer specialist Seagen. That's assuming the deal's approved by the competition authorities, which is by no means certain. Pfizer thinks Seagen can more than quadruple revenues to over $10bn by 2030, but that's not without the usual risks of drug development. It will be a while yet before we find out if the hefty premium being paid will be worth it.
We think that Pfizer's strong record of commercialising blockbuster therapies make it worthy of consideration as part of a diversified portfolio. At 10.5 times forward earnings, it's trading at the lower end of its peer group. This reflects the sizeable chunk of revenues that need to be filled as COVID revenues fall, which we see as the key risk to be aware of.
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) risk
Product governance is a primary driver of ESG risk for this sector, with safety and marketing of medicines the key focus. Access to medicines and their affordability, as well as business ethics concerning intellectual property rights, ethical clinical research and price collusion are other topical issues. Labour relations and Bribery and Corruption are also material ESG risks.
According to Sustainalytics, Pfizer's overall management of material ESG issues is strong, but we have some concerns. Board-level oversight is in place and there are adequate policies and programmes on bribery, corruption and whistleblowing. Implementation could be an issue, though, given it's being investigated by the SEC and Department of Justice regarding bribery allegations. Pfizer was recognised by the Access to Medicine Index for its value-based healthcare initiatives, but disclosure of list and net price changes in the US has deteriorated over the past few years. The group's transparent with its trial data, but falls short of best practice in other areas of product governance.
ESG data sourced from Sustainalytics
Pfizer key facts
All ratios are sourced from Refinitiv. Please remember yields are variable and not a reliable indicator of future income. Keep in mind key figures shouldn't be looked at on their own - it's important to understand the big picture.
This article is original Hargreaves Lansdown content, published by Hargreaves Lansdown. It was correct as at the date of publication, and our views may have changed since then. Unless otherwise stated estimates, including prospective yields, are a consensus of analyst forecasts provided by Refinitiv. These estimates are not a reliable indicator of future performance. Yields are variable and not guaranteed. Investments rise and fall in value so investors could make a loss.
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