AbbVie and Pfizer: A Closer Look at Two Pharma Heavyweights
ZACKS·2025-11-26 16:45

Core Insights - Pfizer and AbbVie are both leading U.S. pharmaceutical companies with strong positions in various therapeutic areas, with Pfizer's oncology sales accounting for approximately 28% of its total revenues and AbbVie’s immunology drugs contributing around 50% of its net revenues [1][2]. Pfizer (PFE) Overview - Pfizer has strengthened its oncology position with the acquisition of Seagen in 2023, leading to a 7% increase in oncology revenues year-to-date, driven by key drugs [4]. - Non-COVID operational revenues are improving, with a 9% operational increase in recently launched and acquired products in the first nine months of 2025, supporting growth expectations for 2026 [5]. - Pfizer anticipates cost savings of $7.7 billion by the end of 2027 through restructuring and cost reduction efforts, with a dividend yield of around 7% [6]. - The company is expanding its pipeline through acquisitions, including a $10 billion deal for Metsera, which adds significant potential in the obesity market [7]. - Pfizer faces challenges with declining sales of COVID products and expects a significant impact from patent expirations between 2026-2030, estimating a $1 billion unfavorable impact from the Inflation Reduction Act [8][10]. AbbVie (ABBV) Overview - AbbVie has successfully navigated the loss of exclusivity for Humira by launching new immunology drugs, Skyrizi and Rinvoq, which generated combined sales of $18.5 billion in the first nine months of 2025 [11][12]. - The oncology segment contributed $5.0 billion in revenues, while neuroscience drugs saw a 20.3% increase in sales, totaling almost $7.8 billion [13]. - AbbVie has pursued inorganic growth through over 30 M&A transactions since early 2024, particularly in immunology, while facing near-term challenges from Humira's biosimilars and competitive pressures [14]. - The aesthetics portfolio has seen a 7.4% decline in global sales, impacted by macroeconomic challenges and low consumer sentiment [15]. Financial Estimates and Performance - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Pfizer's 2025 sales implies a 1.1% decrease, while AbbVie's estimates indicate an 8.1% increase in sales [16]. - Year-to-date, Pfizer's stock has declined by 3.0%, whereas AbbVie's stock has risen by 30.5%, outperforming the industry average of 15.9% [20]. - AbbVie’s dividend yield is 2.8%, compared to Pfizer’s 6.7% [26]. Investment Outlook - Both companies hold a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), but AbbVie is favored due to its robust growth prospects and lack of significant upcoming loss of exclusivity events [28]. - AbbVie expects to achieve mid-single-digit revenue growth in 2025, driven by the strong performance of Skyrizi and Rinvoq, with a high single-digit CAGR projected through 2029 [29].