L'intérêt à découvert pour Pfizer donne aux investisseurs une idée du degré auquel les investisseurs parient sur la baisse de l'action de Pfizer. Les données sur l'intérêt à découvert sont mises à jour toutes les deux semaines.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) Stock, Rapport sur les intérêts à découvert

PFIZER INC

Pfizer

Pfizer is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical firms, with annual sales close to $50 billion (excluding covid-19-related product sales). While it historically sold many types of healthcare products and chemicals, now prescription drugs and vaccines account for the majority of sales. Top sellers include pneumococcal vaccine Prevnar 13, cancer drug Ibrance, and cardiovascular treatment Eliquis. Pfizer sells these products globally, with international sales representing close to 50% of total sales. Within international sales, emerging markets are a major contributor.

Pfizer Inc

Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - February

PFEIFFER VACUUM TECH ORD by Pfeiffer Vacuum Technology AG

Pfeiffer Vacuum Technology AG

<a href="https://www.wsj.com/health/pharma/new-allegations-about-timing-of-pfizer-covid-vaccine-passed-to-house-panel-3451ec97?msockid=21c662101c496b42343370ae1de86aaa">https://www.wsj.com/health/pharma/new-allegations-about-timing-of-pfizer-covid-vaccine-passed-to-house-panel-3451ec97?msockid=21c662101c496b42343370ae1de86aaa</a>

News

General

'New Allegations About Timing of Pfizer Covid Vaccine Passed to House Panel'- WSJ

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Pfizer's Oncology Transformation: Why This Beaten-Down Pharma Giant Is Poised For A Strong Comeback</h2>
Despite trading near decade-low valuations, Pfizer (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PFE#NYSE">PFE</a>) is strategically repositioning itself for substantial long-term growth through its oncology transformation, particularly via the Seagen acquisition. While the market remains fixated on COVID-related revenue declines and upcoming patent cliffs, investors are overlooking the company's dramatically expanded oncology pipeline, robust free cash flow, and the potential for multiple catalysts in 2025-2026 that could drive significant share price appreciation.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a>Key Points:</a></h2>
<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Pfizer's current valuation metrics reveal a striking disconnect with its long-term growth potential</li>
<li>The $43 billion Seagen acquisition has fundamentally transformed Pfizer's oncology pipeline</li>
<li>Despite near-term revenue pressures, Pfizer's financial position remains strong with multiple pathways to growth</li>
<li>A comparison with key competitors shows Pfizer offers compelling risk-reward at current prices</li>
<li>Upcoming catalysts in 2025-2026 could trigger significant revaluation</li>
</ol>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a>Introduction: The Fall From Grace</a></h2>
Few pharmaceutical giants have experienced as dramatic a fall from grace as Pfizer. After riding high on the success of its COVID-19 vaccine and antiviral treatments in 2021-2022, the company has seen its stock price plummet over 60% from its December 2021 high of $52.61. At its current price of approximately $23.87, Pfizer trades at a P/E ratio of just 7.41, a level typically reserved for companies facing existential threats rather than one of the world's premier pharmaceutical innovators.
The market narrative surrounding Pfizer has been overwhelmingly negative, focused on:
<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>The rapid decline of COVID-19 product revenues</li>
<li>Upcoming patent expirations for key drugs like Inlyta (2025) and Xtandi (2027)</li>
<li>Underwhelming pipeline developments in areas like weight loss</li>
<li>Concerns about the return on investment from the $43 billion Seagen acquisition</li>
</ol>
This pessimistic outlook has created what I believe is one of the most compelling investment opportunities in the pharmaceutical sector today. The market is dramatically undervaluing Pfizer's strategic transformation and the potential of its expanded oncology portfolio.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="975" height="609" src="https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/15031106/image-3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-12977" srcset="https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/15031106/image-3.png 975w,https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/15031106/image-3-300x187.png 300w,https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/15031106/image-3-768x480.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 975px) 100vw, 975px" /></figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">&nbsp;Valuation Disconnect: A Market Overreaction</h2>
Pfizer's current valuation metrics tell a compelling story of market overreaction:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>P/E Ratio: 7.41x (vs. industry average of ~15x)</li>
<li>Forward P/E: 8.0x (based on 2025 guidance)</li>
<li>Dividend Yield: 7.20% (substantially higher than its historical average)</li>
<li>Market Cap: $135.38 billion (down from over $300 billion at its peak)</li>
</ul>
When a company of Pfizer's caliber trades at these valuation levels, either the market is correctly anticipating a permanent deterioration in business fundamentals, or it's presenting a significant opportunity for contrarian investors. I believe it's the latter.
While Pfizer's revenue and earnings did experience a sharp decline following the normalization of COVID-19 product demand, the company's 2025 guidance suggests stabilization is at hand. For 2025, Pfizer projects:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Revenue between $61-64 billion</li>
<li>Adjusted EPS of $2.80-3.00</li>
<li>Operational revenue growth of 0-5% (excluding non-recurring COVID revenue)</li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="975" height="609" src="https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/15033015/image-4.png" alt="" class="wp-image-12979" srcset="https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/15033015/image-4.png 975w,https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/15033015/image-4-300x187.png 300w,https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/15033015/image-4-768x480.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 975px) 100vw, 975px" /></figure>
These projections, while not spectacular, hardly justify a valuation typically reserved for businesses in secular decline. More importantly, they provide a stable foundation from which Pfizer's oncology transformation can drive future growth.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a>The Seagen Acquisition: A Pipeline Revolution</a></h2>
In December 2023, Pfizer completed its $43 billion acquisition of Seagen, a move that fundamentally transformed the company's oncology portfolio. This acquisition wasn't merely about adding incremental revenue; it represented a strategic pivot that doubled Pfizer's early-stage oncology pipeline and positioned the company as a leader in antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology—one of the most promising approaches in cancer treatment today.
The Seagen acquisition brought immediate and long-term benefits:
Immediate Portfolio Enhancement:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Four FDA-approved cancer drugs (Adcetris, Padcev, Tivdak, and Tukysa)</li>
<li>Combined revenues of approximately $2.2 billion in 2023</li>
<li>Pfizer projects these medicines could contribute over $10 billion in risk-adjusted revenues by 2030</li>
</ul>
Pipeline Transformation:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Doubled Pfizer's oncology pipeline to 60 programs</li>
<li>Expanded ADC technology platform</li>
<li>Added multiple late-stage pipeline candidates with blockbuster potential</li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="975" height="609" src="https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/15033102/image-5.png" alt="" class="wp-image-12980" srcset="https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/15033102/image-5.png 975w,https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/15033102/image-5-300x187.png 300w,https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/15033102/image-5-768x480.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 975px) 100vw, 975px" /></figure>
This acquisition wasn't made out of desperation but from a position of strategic foresight. ADC technology, which Seagen pioneered, allows for more precise targeting of cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. This approach is increasingly seen as the future of cancer treatment, with the global ADC market projected to grow at a CAGR of over 10% through 2030.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla's comment that "We are not acquiring the golden eggs. We are acquiring the goose that laid the golden eggs" captures the strategic rationale perfectly. The long-term value lies not just in current products but in Seagen's innovation engine.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a>Financial Strength Despite Headwinds</a></h2>
While near-term revenue pressures are real, Pfizer's financial position remains remarkably strong:
Q1 2025 Performance:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Revenue of $13.72 billion</li>
<li>Adjusted EPS of $0.92 (significantly above analyst expectations of $0.66)</li>
<li>Maintained full-year guidance despite external challenges</li>
</ul>
Balance Sheet Strength:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Substantial cash flow generation</li>
<li>Dividend well-covered by earnings</li>
<li>Continued cost optimization (targeting $7.7 billion in savings by 2027)</li>
</ul>
In its Q1 2025 earnings call, Pfizer's management noted they are "trending towards the upper end" of their adjusted EPS guidance range for 2025, suggesting operational efficiency and cost discipline are bearing fruit.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a>Competitive Landscape: How Pfizer Stacks Up</a></h2>
To fully appreciate Pfizer's investment potential, we need to compare it to major competitors:
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="975" height="609" src="https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/15033126/image-6.png" alt="" class="wp-image-12981" srcset="https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/15033126/image-6.png 975w,https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/15033126/image-6-300x187.png 300w,https://contributor-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/15033126/image-6-768x480.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 975px) 100vw, 975px" /></figure>
Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>):
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Market Cap: ~$395 billion</li>
<li>P/E Ratio: ~25x</li>
<li>Dividend Yield: ~3.0%</li>
<li>Growth Challenges: Facing Stelara patent expiration in 2025 and ongoing talc litigation</li>
</ul>
Merck &amp; Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>):
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Market Cap: ~$208 billion</li>
<li>P/E Ratio: ~16x</li>
<li>Dividend Yield: ~2.9%</li>
<li>Growth Challenges: Heavy reliance on Keytruda, which faces patent expiration later this decade</li>
</ul>
AbbVie (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ABBV#NYSE">ABBV</a>):
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Market Cap: ~$340 billion</li>
<li>P/E Ratio: ~20x</li>
<li>Dividend Yield: ~3.6%</li>
<li>Growth Challenges: Recovering from Humira patent cliff through Skyrizi and Rinvoq growth</li>
</ul>
Compared to these peers, Pfizer offers significantly more attractive valuation metrics while facing similar industry-wide challenges. The valuation gap implies the market believes Pfizer's growth prospects are substantially worse than its competitors, an assumption not supported by the company's pipeline and strategic initiatives.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a>Catalysts for Revaluation in 2025-2026</a></h2>
Several potential catalysts could drive a significant revaluation of Pfizer in the next 12-24 months:
<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Pipeline Milestones: Multiple late-stage readouts, particularly from oncology programs, are expected in 2025-2026, including data from the promising disitamab vedotin program for bladder cancer.</li>
<li>Margin Expansion: Pfizer's cost optimization initiatives are projected to deliver $7.7 billion in savings by 2027, potentially lifting adjusted operating margins.</li>
<li>Oncology Revenue Growth: The oncology portfolio, particularly the former Seagen products, is projected to deliver strong growth as new indications are approved and commercial execution improves.</li>
<li>GLP-1 Program Advancement: Progress with danuglipron, Pfizer's oral GLP-1 candidate, could position the company in the rapidly growing obesity market.</li>
<li>Potential Divestments or Spin-offs: Strategic portfolio optimization could unlock shareholder value, with non-core assets potentially being divested.</li>
</ol>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a>Investment Risks</a></h2>
No investment thesis is complete without acknowledging risks:
<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Patent Cliff Pressures: Pfizer faces patent expirations for Inlyta (2025) and Xtandi (2027), which will impact revenue in the near term.</li>
<li>Seagen Integration Challenges: Realizing the full potential of the Seagen acquisition depends on successful integration and pipeline execution.</li>
<li>Pharmaceutical Pricing Pressure: The Inflation Reduction Act and potential future drug pricing reforms could impact profitability.</li>
<li>Competition in Oncology: The oncology space is highly competitive, with many companies pursuing similar targets.</li>
<li>Tariff Uncertainties: As noted in recent earnings calls, potential pharmaceutical tariffs create uncertainty.</li>
</ol>
However, at current valuation levels, much of this risk appears to be already priced into the stock, creating an asymmetric risk-reward profile.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion: The Case for Pfizer's Resurgence</h2>
Pfizer's dramatic fall from grace has created a compelling opportunity for patient investors. The company's strategic pivot to oncology, particularly through the Seagen acquisition, has positioned it at the forefront of one of the most promising areas in medicine. While near-term challenges are real, the current valuation reflects an overly pessimistic view that fails to account for Pfizer's pipeline potential and strategic transformation.
With multiple catalysts on the horizon and a dividend yield providing substantial income while waiting for the investment thesis to play out, Pfizer offers one of the most attractive risk-reward profiles in the pharmaceutical sector today.
For investors willing to look beyond the current negative sentiment, Pfizer at today's prices represents a rare opportunity to acquire a premier pharmaceutical innovator at a deep discount to its intrinsic value.
Image Credit: Generated Using AI

Biotech

Equities

Long Ideas

Opinion

Trading Ideas

ABBV

Why Pfizer Is Poised For A Strong Comeback: My Top Pick For 2025

Sanofi SA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SNY#NASDAQ">SNY</a>) announced on Wednesday that it will invest at least $20 billion in the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/health-care" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. through 2030</a>.
Research and development, plus U.S. manufacturing, will receive the bulk of the spending.
The company also expects higher job creation within the communities where Sanofi and its partners are located, which will help <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/05/n45414947/sanofi-to-invest-at-least-20-billion-in-the-us-through-2030-growing-investments-in-science-and-exp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">enhance the U.S. supply chain</a>.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/25/04/44981281/french-drugmaker-sanofi-clocks-20-q1-profit-growth-forecasts-strong-rebound-in-annual-profit" rel="noreferrer noopener">French Drugmaker Sanofi Clocks 20% Q1 Profit Growth, Forecasts Strong Rebound In Annual Profit</a>
Sanofi has 13,000 US-based employees, according to CEO Paul Hudson.
&#8220;Our expected investments in the US will be substantial and will help ensure the production of key medicines in the U.S.,&#8221; he added.
Sanofi also expects to partner with other domestic manufacturers to help ensure the production of medicines in the U.S.  
Earlier in May, U.S. President&nbsp;Donald Trump's&nbsp;signed an executive order to promote prescription drug manufacturing in the U.S., streamlining the path for companies to build new production sites as potential tariffs on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/tariffs" rel="noreferrer noopener">imported medicines loom</a>.
The White House wants facilities to come on board at a faster rate. It <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/05/regulatory-relief-to-promote-domestic-production-of-critical-medicines/?tblci=GiCUX7wvU_AgmIIiQduNYr6JQuJQLy6SZJGvpyeZuCzyqiCN1VcoxvTN4f7-y-PqATDviEo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimates</a> that it can currently take five to 10 years to build new pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity, which it calls "unacceptable from a national-security standpoint.&#8221;
It&#8217;s not just Sanofi. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45234032/fda-expands-surprise-inspections-at-foreign-drug-and-food-facilities-targets-double-standards-in-overseas-manufacturing-oversight" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amid tariff uncertainty</a>, many drug companies are investing to boost production within the U.S.:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Eli Lilly And Co&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LLY#NYSE">LLY</a>) doubled&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/25/02/43982604/eli-lilly-doubles-capital-spending-on-us-drug-manufacturing-with-50-billion-target" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">domestic medicine production</a>.</li>
<li>Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TMO#NYSE">TMO</a>) announced it would invest an additional $2 billion in the U.S. over&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/health-care/25/04/44995428/thermo-fisher-doubles-down-on-us-manufacturing-in-2b-expansion-plan" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the next four years</a>.</li>
<li>Medtech firm&nbsp;Becton, Dickinson, and Company&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BDX#NYSE">BDX</a>) also announced its intention to invest&nbsp;$2.5 billion&nbsp;in U.S. manufacturing capacity&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/health-care/25/05/45140102/potential-tariff-bites-into-becton-dickinson-2025-profit-outlook-company-will-invest-2-5-billion-to-boost-us-manufacturing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">over the next 5 years</a>.</li>
<li>Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/REGN#NASDAQ">REGN</a>)  seeks to nearly double its manufacturing capacity through a new agreement with <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/25/04/44931246/regeneron-partners-with-japan-based-fujifilm-to-bolster-us-manufacturing-capacity-via-3-billion-deal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies</a>.</li>
<li>Novartis AG (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVS#NYSE">NVS</a>) unveiled a $23 billion investment plan to expand in the U.S. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/25/04/44761201/novartis-commits-23-billion-to-expand-us-manufacturing-over-five-years-despite-tariffs-uncertaint" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">over the next five years</a>.</li>
<li>Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>) plans to invest more than <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/03/44433978/johnson-johnson-to-invest-55-billion-in-us-to-boost-manufacturing-drug-discovery" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">$55 billion in the U.S. over the next four years</a>.</li>
<li>Roche Holdings AG&nbsp;(OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RHHBY#OTC">RHHBY</a>)&nbsp;announced that it will invest $50 billion in the U.S. over&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/pharmaceuticals" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the next five years.</a></li>
<li>Bristol-Myers Squibb &amp; Co.'s&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>)&nbsp;Christopher Boerner, chair and chief executive officer,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.statnews.com/2025/05/05/bristol-myers-squibb-pharmaceutical-policy-us-trump-administration-innovation-tariffs/?tblci=GiCUX7wvU_AgmIIiQduNYr6JQuJQLy6SZJGvpyeZuCzyqiCN1VcoxvTN4f7-y-PqATDviEo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shared</a>&nbsp;plans to invest $40 billion in U.S. R&amp;D, technology, and manufacturing over the next five years in an op-ed published by Statnews.</li>
</ul>
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PFE#NYSE">PFE</a>) is one pharma company that did not highlight investments in new manufacturing plants. The company noted that they already have significant capacity and flexibility to manufacture <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/25/04/45118145/pfizer-ceo-albert-bourla-emphasizes-national-security-in-us-drug-manufacturing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">products in the U.S</a>.
Price Action: Sanofi stock is down 1.53% at $49.20 at the last check on Wednesday.
Read Next:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/25/05/45407486/novo-nordisk-inks-22-billion-deal-with-septerna-to-develop-oral-weight-loss-and-diabetes-drugs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Novo Nordisk Inks $2.2 Billion Deal With Septerna To Develop Oral Weight Loss And Diabetes Drugs</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

Large Cap

Health Care

Movers

REGN

RHHBY

Sanofi To Navigate Tariff Impact With $20 Billion In Spending Through 2030

On CNBC's &#8220;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/mad-money-lightning-round">Mad Money Lightning Round</a>,&#8221; Jim Cramer recommended buying Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ET#NYSE">ET</a>). &#8220;The pipes are a great business here, they <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ET/earnings">really are,&#8221; he added</a>.
On the earnings front, Energy Transfer reported quarterly earnings of 36 cents per share which missed the analyst consensus estimate of 37 cents per share on May 6.
Cramer said he is ok with Harrow, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HROW#NASDAQ">HROW</a>).
Lending support to his choice, HC Wainwright &amp; Co. analyst Yi Chen, on Monday, maintained Harrow with a Buy and raised the price target from $57 to $60.
&#8220;I think it can bottom here,&#8221; Cramer said when asked about Pfizer (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PFE#NYSE">PFE</a>). &#8220;I think that there's a lot of good stuff that they have, so I would say keep it here.&#8221;
Pfizer, on April 29, posted quarterly earnings of 92 cents per share, beating market estimates of 67 cents per share. The company&#8217;s quarterly sales came in at $13.71 billion, missing expectations of $13.95 billion.
The &#8220;Mad Money&#8221; host recommended to own Kinsale Capital Group, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KNSL#NYSE">KNSL</a>), saying that it is a &#8220;very good&#8221; stock.
Supporting his view, the company, on April 24, posted better-than-expected first-quarter earnings.
&#8220;All the insurers are really terrific right now, and they have been good for some time,&#8221; Cramer said when asked about Manulife Financial Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MFC#NYSE">MFC</a>). &#8220;They're all making fortunes, so I'm not going to go against any one of them.&#8221;
Manulife Financial, on May 7, reported quarterly earnings 69 cents per share on sales of $1.49 billion.
When asked about Iron Mountain (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IRM#NYSE">IRM</a>), he said, &#8220;No, better places to be.&#8221;
Iron Mountain, on May 1, posted better-than-expected earnings for the first quarter.
Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DVN#NYSE">DVN</a>) has been such a &#8220;poor performer, I can't have you do that,&#8221; Cramer said.
On the earnings front, Devon Energy, on May 6, posted weaker-than-expected quarterly earnings.
Price Action:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Energy Transfer shares gained 1.3% to settle at $17.44 on Monday.</li>
<li>Harrow shares rose 9.3% to close at $26.66 during the session.</li>
<li>Devon Energy shares gained 3.1% to settle at $33.55 on Monday.</li>
<li>Pfizer shares gained 3.6% to settle at $23.09 on Monday.</li>
<li>Kinsale Capital shares rose 0.6% to close at $456.81.</li>
<li>Manulife Financial shares gained 2.8% to settle at $31.60 on Monday.</li>
<li>Iron Mountain shares gained 0.9% to close at $97.94 during the session.</li>
</ul>
Read Next: 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/short-ideas/25/05/45347009/top-2-tech-stocks-that-may-crash-in-q2">Top 2 Tech Stocks That May Crash In Q2</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

Media

HROW

KNSL

Jim Cramer Is 'OK' With Harrow, Recommends Buying This Energy Stock

<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/12/trump-drug-pricing-order-most-favored-nation.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/12/trump-drug-pricing-order-most-favored-nation.html</a>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>President Donald Trump will revive a controversial policy that aims to slash drug costs by tying the amount the government pays for some medicines to lower prices abroad, White House officials said.</li>
<li>The order is a blow to the pharmaceutical industry, which is already bracing for Trump&#39;s planned tariffs on prescription drugs.</li>
<li>It is Trump&#39;s latest effort to try to rein in U.S. prescription drug prices, which are two to three times higher on average than those in other developed nations.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

MRNA

'Trump To Sign Order To Cut Some U.S. Drug Prices To Match Those Abroad' - CNBC

Mark Cuban, the billionaire entrepreneur, challenged Trump-supporter and political activist Charlie Kirk&#8216;s stance on high drug prices, asserting that Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) are the main culprits, not Big Pharma.
What Happened:&nbsp;Cuban criticized Kirk&#8217;s&nbsp;focus on Big Pharma as&nbsp;the primary driver of high drug prices. Instead, Cuban pointed to PBMs as the major offenders&nbsp;due to their opaque pricing&nbsp;practices and market dominance. Cuban highlighted the lack of transparency in PBMs&#8217; contracts, which often prohibit disclosing pricing details. He challenged&nbsp;Kirk to obtain a net&nbsp;price list from his company&#8217;s PBM. 
Meanwhile, Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, has regularly raised questions on the practices of Big Pharma through his posts and podcasts.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Charlie , you aren&#39;t close. Drug prices are too damn high. But the big culprit isn&#39;t the brand manufacturers, it&#39;s the big middlemen. Namely PBMs. They work so hard to distort pricing the first lines in their contracts with everyone is &quot;you can&#39;t disclose any of this &quot; How bad… <a href="https://t.co/oMnlvlOPtl">https://t.co/oMnlvlOPtl</a>
&mdash; Mark Cuban (@mcuban) <a href="https://twitter.com/mcuban/status/1921755430708969767?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Cuban&#8217;s post aligns&nbsp;with a 2022 FTC investigation&nbsp;into PBMs&#8217;&nbsp;role in rising drug costs&nbsp;through practices like spread pricing. Moreover, according to a 2023 Bipartisan&nbsp;Policy Center, six PBMs control&nbsp;95% of the private market. 
He supports Trump's Executive Order to lower drug prices by 30-80%, suggesting that targeting PBMs, such as separating formularies and mandating claim disclosures, could make brand medications cheaper than in many countries, building on his own efforts with Cost Plus Drugs to cut out middlemen and reduce costs.
In one of his initial responses, Mark Cuban expressed support for the move, stating it could &#8220;force transparency,&#8221; even if the President can&#8217;t mandate price reductions.
SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/news/25/05/45338281/trump-has-a-proven-track-record-of-being-an-absolute-failure-says-gov-tim-walz-we-dont-need-to-run-governmen" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump Has A &#8216;Proven Track Record Of Being An Absolute Failure,&#8217; Says Gov. Tim Walz—&#8217;We Don&#8217;t Need To Run Government Like A Business&#8217;</a>
Why It Matters: Cuban&#8217;s comments come in the wake of President Donald Trump&#8216;s announcement of a sweeping executive order aimed at slashing prescription drug prices. The order, which Trump referred to as the &#8220;most consequential executive order&#8221; in U.S. history, is set to implement a &#8220;Most Favored Nations&#8221; <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/health-care/25/05/45341590/trumps-drug-pricing-executive-order-could-rattle-pharma-stocksprice-cuts-up-to-80">policy requiring</a> pharmaceutical companies to charge U.S. consumers no more than the lowest price they offer for the same drug in any other country.
Cuban, despite being a Trump critic, has <a href="https://benzinga.com/markets/25/04/44866755/mark-cuban-says-this-trump-healthcare-order-could-save-hundreds-of-billions">expressed support</a> for Trump&#8217;s healthcare order, emphasizing its potential to reform the role of PBMs in the U.S. healthcare system and save billions. He believes&nbsp;that targeting PBMs—such as separating&nbsp;formularies and mandating claim disclosures—could&nbsp;make brand medications cheaper than&nbsp;in many countries.
Meanwhile, Eli Lilly (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LLY#NYSE">LLY</a>), Novo Nordisk (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVO#NYSE">NVO</a>), Pfizer (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PFE#NYSE">PFE</a>) and Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>) were trading 2% to 5% lower in Monday&#8217;s premarket in response to Trump&#8217;s executive order.
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/05/45328061/bitcoin-ethereum-xrp-dogecoin-enter-weekend-strong-long-dips-140000-is-programmed-trader-says" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin Enter Weekend Strong: &#8216;Long Dips, $140,000 Is Programmed,&#8217; Trader Says &#8211; Benzinga</a></li>
</ul>
Image via Shutterstock
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Markets

Mark Cuban Slams Charlie Kirk Over Drug Price Debate, Says PBMs — Not Big Pharma — Are The Real Villains: 'For Your Company…Ask Your PBM For A List Of Claims'

On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he plans to sign what he called the &#8220;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/health-care/25/05/45339399/trump-says-prescription-drug-prices-set-to-drop-by-30-to-80-almost-immediately-thanks-to-most-favored-nation-plan-mark-cuban-urges-president-to-force-tran">most consequential executive order</a>&#8221; in U.S. history, aimed at lowering prescription drug prices.
What Happened: Trump said the executive order, set to be signed at 9 a.m. Monday, will implement a &#8220;Most Favored Nations&#8221; policy requiring pharmaceutical companies to charge U.S. consumers no more than the lowest price they offer for the same drug in any other country.
See More: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45338985/trump-reportedly-set-to-accept-flying-palace-from-qatar-white-house-says-lavish-gift-of-boeing-jumbo-jet-complies-with-all-applicable-laws">Trump Reportedly Set To Accept &#8216;Flying Palace&#8217; From Qatar, White House Says Lavish Gift Of Boeing Jumbo Jet Complies With &#8216;All Applicable Laws&#8217;</a>
Accusing pharmaceutical companies of overcharging American consumers, sometimes &#8220;five to ten times more&#8221; than patients in other countries, Trump slammed political opponents for enabling the status quo all these years.
Trump says that prescription drug prices will be reduced by &#8220;30% to 80%,&#8221; while rising throughout the world, to equalize and &#8220;bring fairness to America.&#8221;
Why It Matters: This move is expected to have the biggest impact on Medicare Part B drugs, which mainly constitute outpatient prescriptions and biologicals, the prices for which are directly managed by the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS).
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table class="has-fixed-layout">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Drug Name</th>
<th class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Manufacturer(s)</th>
<th class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Total Spending</th>
<th class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Primary Use</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Keytruda</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Merck &amp; Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>)</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">$4.0B</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Cancer (various types)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Eylea</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/REGN#NASDAQ">REGN</a>) </td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">$3.4B</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Macular degeneration</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Prolia/Xgeva</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMGN#NASDAQ">AMGN</a>)</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">$2.1B</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Osteoporosis, bone metastases</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Opdivo</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>) </td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">$2.0B</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Cancer (various types)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Darzalex</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>)</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">$1.9B</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Multiple myeloma</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Avastin</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Roche Holdings AG (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RHHBY#OTC">RHHBY</a>)</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">$1.8B</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Cancer (various types)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A breakdown of the top Medicare Part B drugs by spending in 2023, based on the latest data shared by the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS).</figcaption></figure>
These are the stocks that are most likely to be hit by this announcement when markets open on Monday, given their sizable exposure to Medicare, especially being classified as Part B. 
According to a report by the Rand Corporation, a California-based policy think-tank, prescription drug prices in the U.S. are, on average, at least 2.78 times higher than other countries.
While Trump&#8217;s move is being criticized by the likes of crypto enthusiast Ed Krassenstein, calling it &#8220;just another Trump lie,&#8221; saying that an executive order can steer Medicare and Medicaid payments, but <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/health-care/25/05/45339399/trump-says-prescription-drug-prices-set-to-drop-by-30-to-80-almost-immediately-thanks-to-most-favored-nation-plan-mark-cuban-urges-president-to-force-tran">cannot force manufacturers</a> to cut prices. 
Others, such as billionaire investor Mark Cuban, have come out in support of the move, saying that it can &#8220;force transparency,&#8221; even if the President cannot force price cuts.
Drug pricing disparities have been a point of contention across the political spectrum. Recently, Novo Nordisk A/S&#8217;s (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVO#NYSE">NVO</a>) CEO, Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/24/09/40986953/novo-nordisk-ceo-to-face-senate-scrutiny-over-high-ozempic-and-wegovy-prices-hearing-scheduled-on">faced Senate scrutiny</a> on these vast differences, where he was targeted by Sen.&nbsp;Bernie Sanders&nbsp;(I-Vt.) for the high price of the company&#8217;s diabetes drug, Ozempic. 
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="135" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/12033045/Screenshot-2025-05-12-at-1.00.28-PM-1024x135.png" alt="" class="wp-image-911404" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/12033045/Screenshot-2025-05-12-at-1.00.28-PM-1024x135.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/12033045/Screenshot-2025-05-12-at-1.00.28-PM-300x40.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/12033045/Screenshot-2025-05-12-at-1.00.28-PM-768x101.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/12033045/Screenshot-2025-05-12-at-1.00.28-PM-1536x202.png 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/12033045/Screenshot-2025-05-12-at-1.00.28-PM.png 1594w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
Novo Nordisk shares have an unfavorable price trend in the short, medium, and long term, but how does it compare with peers such as Johnson &amp; Johnson, Amgen, and Roche? Sign up for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">Benzinga Edge</a> to find out.
Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer and J&amp;J were trading at least 3% lower in Monday premarket. 
Photo Courtesy: create jobs 51 On Shutterstock.com
Read More: 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/05/45339784/mohamed-el-erian-warns-us-china-deal-reveals-americas-fear-of-empty-shelves-as-markets-rally-on-trade-optimism-peter-schiff-skeptical-without-renminbi-revaluation">Mohamed El-Erian Warns US-China Deal Reveals &#8216;America&#8217;s Fear Of Empty Shelves&#8217; As Markets Rally On Trade Optimism, Peter Schiff Skeptical Without Renminbi Revaluation</a></li>
</ul>

AMGN

Trump's New Drug Pricing Executive Order Could Rattle Pharma Stocks, With Price Cuts Of Up To 80%: Novo Nordisk, Pfizer And J&J Fall In Premarket

On Sunday, President Donald Trump vowed to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/04/44945973/trump-administration-considers-lowering-us-drug-prices-to-international-levels-report">slash prescription drug prices</a> through a sweeping executive order.
What Happened: Trump took to Truth Social and announced plans to sign a new executive order. Under what he called a "most favored nation" pricing policy, the President said the executive order will ensure that "the United States will pay the same price as the Nation that pays the lowest price anywhere in the World."
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="612" height="966" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/11221440/Screenshot-2025-05-12-at-11.14.22.png" alt="" class="wp-image-911175" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/11221440/Screenshot-2025-05-12-at-11.14.22.png 612w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/11221440/Screenshot-2025-05-12-at-11.14.22-190x300.png 190w" sizes="(max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px" /></figure>
Screenshot From President Donald Trump&#8217;s Truth Social Account
He added that prescription drug prices would drop "almost immediately, by 30% to 80%," and called the move "one of the most consequential Executive Orders in our Country's history."
In response, a user on X, formerly Twitter, expressed skepticism, saying, "It would be nice if Trump&#8217;s super important post about drug prices was really achievable. I think all Democrats would agree&#8230; But like most things Trump brags about, they are pie-in-the-sky promises that can&#8217;t and won&#8217;t actually materialize."
See Also: &nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/news/25/04/44935195/elizabeth-warren-says-if-trump-illegally-fires-fed-chair-powell-hell-crash-our-markets-cause-more-economic-p" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elizabeth Warren Says, ‘If Trump Illegally Fires Fed Chair Powell, He'll Crash Our Markets, Cause More Economic Pain To American Families'</a>
That's where <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/04/44866755/mark-cuban-says-this-trump-healthcare-order-could-save-hundreds-of-billions">billionaire entrepreneur</a> and Cost Plus Drugs founder Mark Cuban stepped in. Cuban acknowledged the ambition of Trump's plan but highlighted a more attainable path forward.
"I don't know if he can force the price, but he can force transparency, and that will help," Cuban wrote.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">I dont know if he can force the price , but he can force transparency , and that will help. He did it w hospitals Force transparency of contracts, pricing , rebates , claims and a lot could change Biggest thing he could do is encourage brand pharma to sell to cost plus drugs… <a href="https://t.co/vkz3Q2IFkn">https://t.co/vkz3Q2IFkn</a>
&mdash; Mark Cuban (@mcuban) <a href="https://twitter.com/mcuban/status/1921710702743417149?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Why It's Important: Last month, Trump issued a <a href="https://benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/04/44851905/trumps-new-order-targets-drug-pricing-transparency-and-medicare-cost-reduction">multi-part executive order</a> targeting drug pricing transparency and Medicare cost reduction.
Earlier this month, he signed <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/05/45232993/trump-orders-fda-to-fast-track-us-drug-production-as-tariff-threat-looms-on-imported-medicines-cites">another executive order directing</a> the Food and Drug Administration to expedite approvals for domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.
The Invesco Pharmaceuticals ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PJP#NYSE">PJP</a>) and iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IHE#NYSE">IHE</a>) rose 2.61% and 2.81%, respectively, over the past month.
Price Action: In after-hours trading, Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVO#NYSE">NVO</a>) was up 0.20%, while Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LLY#NYSE">LLY</a>) and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PFE#NYSE">PFE</a>) increased by 0.32% and 0.13%, respectively. Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>) also saw a modest gain of 0.12%, according to data from <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a>.
Photo Courtesy: PeopleImages.com &#8211; Yuri A On Shutterstock.com
Read Next:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/04/44930938/dogecoin-jumps-7-shiba-inu-up-4-is-a-major-meme-rally-brewing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dogecoin Jumps 7%, Shiba Inu Up 4%: Is A Major Meme Rally Brewing?</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Government

iShares Dow Jones US Pharmaceuticals Index Fund

Trump Says Prescription Drug Prices Set To Drop By 30% To 80% 'Almost Immediately' Thanks To 'Most Favored Nation' Plan, Mark Cuban Urges President To 'Force Transparency'

Investors with significant funds have taken a bullish position in Pfizer (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PFE#NYSE">PFE</a>), a development that retail traders should be aware of.
This was brought to our attention today through our monitoring of publicly accessible options data at Benzinga. The exact nature of these investors remains a mystery, but such a major move in PFE usually indicates foreknowledge of upcoming events.
Today, Benzinga's options scanner identified 8 options transactions for Pfizer. This is an unusual occurrence. The sentiment among these large-scale traders is mixed, with 50% being bullish and 50% bearish. Of all the options we discovered, 7 are puts, valued at $375,315, and there was a single call, worth $41,965.
<h3>What's The Price Target?</h3>
Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $21.0 to $25.0 for Pfizer during the past quarter. 
<h3>Analyzing Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
In terms of liquidity and interest, the mean open interest for Pfizer options trades today is 25660.14 with a total volume of 7,070.00.
In the following chart, we are able to follow the development of volume and open interest of call and put options for Pfizer's big money trades within a strike price range of $21.0 to $25.0 over the last 30 days.
<h3>Pfizer Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1746817258_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Largest Options Trades Observed:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>PFE</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$1.52</td>
<td>$1.38</td>
<td>$1.42</td>
<td>$21.00</td>
<td>$162.0K</td>
<td>1.2K</td>
<td>0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PFE</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/09/25</td>
<td>$0.56</td>
<td>$0.53</td>
<td>$0.53</td>
<td>$23.00</td>
<td>$44.4K</td>
<td>10.9K</td>
<td>1.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PFE</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$2.01</td>
<td>$1.96</td>
<td>$1.96</td>
<td>$22.50</td>
<td>$41.9K</td>
<td>17.6K</td>
<td>3.5K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PFE</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$2.3</td>
<td>$2.03</td>
<td>$2.08</td>
<td>$22.50</td>
<td>$41.6K</td>
<td>65.1K</td>
<td>203</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PFE</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$2.49</td>
<td>$2.46</td>
<td>$2.48</td>
<td>$25.00</td>
<td>$37.5K</td>
<td>29.0K</td>
<td>171</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Pfizer</h3>
Pfizer is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical firms, with annual sales close to $50 billion (excluding covid-19-related product sales). While it historically sold many types of healthcare products and chemicals, now prescription drugs and vaccines account for the majority of sales. Top sellers include pneumococcal vaccine Prevnar 13, cancer drug Ibrance, and cardiovascular treatment Eliquis. Pfizer sells these products globally, with international sales representing close to 50% of total sales. Within international sales, emerging markets are a major contributor.
After a thorough review of the options trading surrounding Pfizer, we move to examine the company in more detail. This includes an assessment of its current market status and performance.
<h3>Pfizer's Current Market Status</h3>
<ul>
<li>Trading volume stands at 24,661,104, with PFE's price down by -0.27%, positioned at $22.48.</li>
<li>RSI indicators show the stock to be may be approaching overbought.</li>
<li>Earnings announcement expected in 81 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What Analysts Are Saying About Pfizer</h3>
Over the past month, 2 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $24.5.
Turn $1000 into $1270 in just 20 days?
20-year pro options trader reveals his one-line chart technique that shows when to buy and sell. Copy his trades, which have had averaged a 27% profit every 20 days. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/options-moneyline-2/?t=Moop1arja3be22op14&amp;adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=options-activity&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; An analyst from UBS persists with their Neutral rating on Pfizer, maintaining a target price of $25. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Cantor Fitzgerald has revised its rating downward to Neutral, adjusting the price target to $24. 
Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.
If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Pfizer, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a> gives you real-time options trades alerts.

Options

This Is What Whales Are Betting On Pfizer

As the drug industry is in the middle of a growing policy maelstrom in Washington, D.C., investors are <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs">closely watching pharmaceutical ETFs</a> to measure market sentiment and ride out the emerging volatility. 
With President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration rehashing contentious ideas on drug pricing and manufacturing policy, the stakes are increasing — not only for Big Pharma, but for the overall healthcare investment environment.
Amid the trends, pharma-targeted ETFs are being watched under a more risk-averse lens. Each of the funds provides sector exposure, but structural idiosyncrasies — and varying levels of protection from regulation-induced shocks — are gaining heightened relevance.
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Slicing Up The Pharma ETF Scene</h1>
iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IHE#NYSE">IHE</a>)
The ETF offers concentrated exposure to large-cap U.S.-listed pharma companies. Its top holdings are Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>), Merck &amp; Co Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>), Eli Lilly And Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LLY#NYSE">LLY</a>), and Pfizer Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PFE#NYSE">PFE</a>) — companies with strong pipelines and international revenue streams.
Defensive Tilt: IHE&#8217;s emphasis on blue-chip names makes it a relatively defensive play during periods of political unrest.
Policy Sensitivity: But its large weighting in companies with substantial Medicaid and U.S. sales exposure renders it highly sensitive to pharmaceutical pricing reform in the domestic market.
SPDR S&amp;P Pharmaceuticals ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XPH#NYSE">XPH</a>)
Unlike IHE, the SPDR S&amp;P Pharmaceuticals ETF uses an equal-weighting style, dispersing exposure across a larger segment of the industry, including mid- and small-cap companies such as Viatris (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VTRS#NASDAQ">VTRS</a>).
Diversified Risk: This format caps overconcentration in a single name and increases sensitivity to prospective M&amp;A action.
Higher Volatility: As more importance is assigned to lesser-known participants, XPH can see greater price volatility, particularly as regulatory threats play out.
VanEck Pharmaceutical ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PPH#NASDAQ">PPH</a>)
Those in search of global exposure should look at PPH, which includes international powerhouses such as AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AZN#NASDAQ">AZN</a>) and Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVO#NYSE">NVO</a>) on par with U.S. behemoths.
Geopolitical Hedge: International diversification renders PPH less susceptible to U.S.-specific tariff risks or reforms.
Growth Exposure: Novo Nordisk&#8217;s dominance of GLP-1-based obesity treatment provides a high-growth component, although subject to some headwinds due to compounding alternatives in the U.S.
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Volatility Ahead?</h1>
These ETF dynamics are unfolding against a backdrop of sweeping proposals and heightened industry-government tension. The Trump administration's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/04/44945973/trump-administration-considers-lowering-us-drug-prices-to-international-levels-report">revived push to tether Medicaid drug prices to lower international benchmarks</a> has sent shockwaves through the pharmaceutical sector. Industry analysts estimate the pricing framework could erase as much as $1 trillion in revenue over a decade, according to Bloomberg.
Surprised by the White House&#8217;s latest move, drug industry executives have mounted a concerted lobbying effort, trying to keep the policy from taking hold in Congress. Although some Republican lawmakers, including Kentucky Rep. Brett Guthrie, have reaffirmed their opposition to global reference pricing, the proposal is still a live political threat, Bloomberg reported.
And adding to investor anxiety is Trump&#8217;s latest threat of<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44708204/trump-hints-at-major-tariff-on-imported-pharmaceuticals-us-pharma-stocks-tumble-in-wednesday-pre-market"> sector-specific tariffs on drugs</a>. Although the Department of Commerce&#8217;s Section 232 investigation can take months, the threat of new import tariffs — particularly on Indian generics and contract-manufactured products — has already spilled over into related stocks. Insiders within the industry say the administration might move while there is a 90-day moratorium on reciprocal tariff imposition.
Not all of Washington&#8217;s signals are bearish, though. A recently signed executive order is intended to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/05/45215281/trump-orders-fda-to-fast-track-us-drug-production-as-tariff-threat-looms-on-imported-medicines-cites-national-security-concerns">lower FDA approval times for U.S. manufacturing plants</a> — potentially speeding up reshoring and encouraging investment in U.S.-based production. For more exposed domestic manufacturers and smaller company-focused ETFs such as XPH, this may be a long-term tailwind.
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Proceed, But With Prescription-Strength Caution</h1>
For those looking for exposure to the pharma industry, ETFs are still an important tool — but their variations are more important than ever.
IHE provides stability but is heavily influenced by the success of U.S. policy.
XPH offers balanced exposure and is potentially more sensitive to reforms in domestic manufacturing.
PPH offers a global cushion, especially useful if U.S.-focused risks increase.
In the end, pharma ETFs&#8217; future may depend less on laboratory discoveries than on the political medicine doled out by Washington. 
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/new-etfs/25/05/45259802/vistashares-launches-qusa-etf-targeting-15-annual-yield-with-quality-us-stocks-options-overlay">VistaShares Launches QUSA ETF, Targeting 15% Annual Yield With Quality U.S. Stocks, Options Overlay</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Aria Armoko via Shutterstock

Sector ETFs

ETFs

Merrill Lynch Pharmaceutical HOLDRs Trust

VTRS

Are Your Health Care ETFs Safe? Trump's New Policies May Trigger Shockwaves Across Pharma Stocks

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary on Tuesday named Vinay Prasad the next director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration&#8217;s (FDA) Center of Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER).
Dr. Prasad has openly criticized the biopharma industry and the FDA for using accelerated approvals broadly based on surrogate endpoints.
&#8220;We are surprised by the announcement because it seems to be in stark contrast to themes and initiatives that have been laid out by Dr. Makary, and it comes on the heels of large personnel departures across the FDA, raising questions on the ability to meet review timelines,&#8221; writes <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/william-blair">William Blair </a>of Blue Matrix.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45234032/fda-expands-surprise-inspections-at-foreign-drug-and-food-facilities-targets-double-standards-in-overseas-manufac" rel="noreferrer noopener">FDA Expands Surprise Inspections At Foreign Drug And Food Facilities, Targets Double Standards In Overseas Manufacturing Oversight</a>
Analyst Matt Phipps adds that there are many questions about how Prasad will shape regulatory decisions as the new head of CBER. Investors also seem confused about what CBER regulates compared to the Center of Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER).
Generally, drugs like antibodies, bispecifics and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are reviewed by CDER, even though they use biologics license applications (BLAs).
CBER, on the other hand, oversees gene and cell therapies, vaccines and some other biological products. CDER typically handles therapeutic antibodies, proteins, cytokines and enzymes.
Blair wrote on Tuesday that for cell and gene therapies stocks that have reacted negatively, there are outstanding questions and increased uncertainty now as the analyst waits to see whether Makary or Prasad will have more impact on the guidelines and regulatory development requirements for these novel therapies, particularly in rare diseases.
Since being confirmed as commissioner, Makary has advocated for more accelerated approval opportunities for ultrarare diseases or therapies with overwhelming efficacy.
The vaccine space continues to face negative sentiment from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who requested placebo-controlled studies for new vaccine approvals.
Prasad&#8217;s appointment at CBER will likely continue to pressure this sector.
&#8220;Under Secretary Kennedy&#8217;s leadership, all new vaccines will undergo safety testing in placebo-controlled trials prior to licensure — a radical departure from past practices,&#8221; HHS <a target="_blank" href="https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/30/health/hhs-vaccine-placebo-testing" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a> CNN in a statement Wednesday.
Blair writes that from the coverage list, Moderna Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRNA#NASDAQ">MRNA</a>) has seen a sharp sell-off and remains in a difficult position with a politically out-of-favor mRNA vaccine technology and a potentially more restrictive CBER head and review process for new vaccine products.
In contrast, Dynavax Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DVAX#NASDAQ">DVAX</a>) remains largely insulated given that Heplisav is approved and the analyst sees less scrutiny on adult vaccines that are not being pushed as mandatory.
Taysha Gene Therapies (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSHA#NASDAQ">TSHA</a>) fell 18%, Solid Biosciences Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SLDB#NASDAQ">SLDB</a>) closed 20.3% lower, Capricor Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CAPR#NASDAQ">CAPR</a>) stock closed 29% lower, Crispr Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRSP#NASDAQ">CRSP</a>) stock closed 12% lower, Sarepta Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SRPT#NASDAQ">SRPT</a>) stock closed 27% lower, Moderna fell 12%, Pfizer Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PFE#NYSE">PFE</a>) fell 4.2%, and Novavax Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVAX#NASDAQ">NVAX</a>) closed 3.2% on Tuesday. Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BBC#NYSE">BBC</a>) closed 9.74% lower at $17.15 and SPDR Series Trust SPDR S&amp;P Biotech ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XBI#NYSE">XBI</a>) fell 6.63% to $77.17 on Tuesday.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45237060/despite-nikes-executive-overhaul-ongoing-challenges-persist-says-analyst" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nike Revamps C-Suite, &#8216;Win Now&#8217; Strategy Faces Profit Pressure: Analyst</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Analyst Color

Analyst Ratings

CAPR

CRSP

DVAX

NVAX

SLDB

SRPT

TSHA

Vinay Prasad's Appointment To FDA's CBER Triggers Questions Over Future Of Cell And Gene Therapy Regulation

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its intent to expand the use of unannounced inspections at foreign manufacturing facilities that produce foods, essential medicines, and other medical products intended for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/health-care" rel="noreferrer noopener">American consumers and patients</a>.
This change builds upon the agency&#8217;s Office of Inspection and Investigations&#8217; Foreign Unannounced Inspection Pilot program in India and China and aims to ensure that foreign companies will receive the same level of regulatory oversight and scrutiny as domestic companies.&nbsp;
&#8220;For too long, foreign companies have enjoyed a double standard—given advanced notice before facility inspections, while American manufacturers are held to rigorous standards with no such warning,&#8221; said FDA Commissioner Martin Makary. &nbsp;
On Tuesday, the FDA <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-announces-expanded-use-unannounced-inspections-foreign-manufacturing-facilities?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a> it plans to review and improve its foreign inspection program to ensure it meets the highest standards for oversight. Part of this effort includes making it clear that FDA inspectors should not accept travel-related perks like hotel stays or transportation from the companies they inspect.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/health-care/25/05/45225204/iqvia-beats-q1-earnings-expectations-despite-sector-uncertainty-company-navigating-market-conditions-effectively-says-ceo" rel="noreferrer noopener">IQVIA Beats Q1 Earnings Expectations Despite Sector Uncertainty, Company Navigating Market Conditions &#8216;Effectively&#8217; Says CEO</a>
The FDA conducts about 12,000 inspections annually in the U.S. and 3,000 in other countries. While U.S. companies often get surprise inspections, foreign companies usually receive advanced notice, giving them time to prepare and potentially hide problems.
Still, foreign inspections often reveal serious issues, more than twice as often as domestic ones.
In the U.S., inspections are usually unannounced unless specific programs require advance notice to ensure staff and records are available.
Even then, companies can&#8217;t pick the date or time. The FDA says foreign companies shouldn&#8217;t have that option either.
By shifting to more surprise inspections abroad, the FDA aims to better protect American consumers by catching dishonest practices, like falsifying records or hiding violations, before they cause harm.
The agency can take action against any company that tries to delay, block, or refuse an unannounced inspection.
The update follows President&nbsp;Donald Trump&#8217;s signed executive order on Monday to promote prescription drug manufacturing in the U.S., streamlining the path for companies to build new production sites as potential tariffs on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/tariffs" rel="noreferrer noopener">imported medicines loom</a>.
The order directs the FDA to reduce the amount of time it takes to approve manufacturing plants in the U.S. by eliminating unnecessary requirements, streamlining reviews, and working with domestic drugmakers to &#8220;provide early support before facilities come online,&#8221; <a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/05/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-announces-actions-to-reduce-regulatory-barriers-to-domestic-pharmaceutical-manufacturing/" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a> to&nbsp;a White House fact sheet.
It also directs the agency to raise inspection fees for foreign manufacturing plants, improve the enforcement of active-ingredient source reporting by overseas producers, and consider publicly listing facilities that don&#8217;t comply.
The White House <a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/05/regulatory-relief-to-promote-domestic-production-of-critical-medicines/" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimates</a> that it can currently take five to ten years to build new pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity, which it calls &#8220;unacceptable from a national-security standpoint.&#8221;
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/02/43906811/trump-reportedly-warns-big-pharma-move-manufacturing-to-us-or-face-tariffs" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amid tariff uncertainty</a>, many companies have disclosed a wave of investments in recent months to boost production in the U.S.
<ul>
<li>Eli Lilly And Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LLY#NYSE">LLY</a>) doubled <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/25/02/43982604/eli-lilly-doubles-capital-spending-on-us-drug-manufacturing-with-50-billion-target" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">domestic medicine production</a>.</li>
<li>Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TMO#NYSE">TMO</a>) announced it would invest an additional $2 billion in the U.S. over <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/health-care/25/04/44995428/thermo-fisher-doubles-down-on-us-manufacturing-in-2b-expansion-plan" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the next four years</a>.</li>
<li>Medtech firm Becton, Dickinson, and Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BDX#NYSE">BDX</a>) also announced its intention to invest $2.5 billion in U.S. manufacturing capacity <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/health-care/25/05/45140102/potential-tariff-bites-into-becton-dickinson-2025-profit-outlook-company-will-invest-2-5-billion-to-boost-us-manufacturing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">over the next 5 years</a>.</li>
<li>Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PFE#NYSE">PFE</a>) did not highlight investments in new manufacturing plants; it noted that they already have significant capacity and flexibility to manufacture <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/25/04/45118145/pfizer-ceo-albert-bourla-emphasizes-national-security-in-us-drug-manufacturing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">their products in the U.S</a>.</li>
<li>Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/REGN#NASDAQ">REGN</a>) seeks to nearly double its manufacturing capacity through a new agreement with <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/25/04/44931246/regeneron-partners-with-japan-based-fujifilm-to-bolster-us-manufacturing-capacity-via-3-billion-deal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies</a>.</li>
<li>Novartis AG (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVS#NYSE">NVS</a>) unveiled a sweeping $23 billion investment plan to expand its manufacturing and research infrastructure in the U.S. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/25/04/44761201/novartis-commits-23-billion-to-expand-us-manufacturing-over-five-years-despite-tariffs-uncertaint" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">over the next five years</a>.</li>
<li>Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>) announced its plans to invest more than <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/03/44433978/johnson-johnson-to-invest-55-billion-in-us-to-boost-manufacturing-drug-discovery" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">$55 billion in the U.S. over the next four years</a>.</li>
<li>Roche Holdings AG (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RHHBY#OTC">RHHBY</a>) announced that it will invest $50 billion in the U.S. over <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/pharmaceuticals" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the next five years.</a></li>
<li>Most recently, Bristol-Myers Squibb &amp; Co.&#8217;s (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>) Christopher Boerner, chair and chief executive officer, <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2025/05/05/bristol-myers-squibb-pharmaceutical-policy-us-trump-administration-innovation-tariffs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shared</a> plans to invest $40 billion in U.S. R&amp;D, technology, and manufacturing over the next five years in an op-ed published by Stat this week.</li>
</ul>
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/05/45195137/footwear-titans-nike-adidas-call-tariffs-an-existential-threat-appeal-to-trump-for-relief-this-is-an-emergency" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Footwear Titans Nike, Adidas Call Tariffs An &#8216;Existential Threat&#8217;, Appeal To Trump For Relief: &#8216;This Is An Emergency&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Photo by Tada Images via Shutterstock

Regulations

FDA Expands Surprise Inspections At Foreign Drug And Food Facilities, Targets Double Standards In Overseas Manufacturing Oversight

WIIM

BHVN

MARA

XNCR

Shares of vaccine and gene therapy stocks are trading lower after FDA Commissioner Marty Makary reportedly named Vinay Prasad as director of the Center for Biologics and Research.

<a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/health-law-and-business/fda-names-vinay-prasad-as-new-head-of-vaccines-biologics" title="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/health-law-and-business/fda-names-vinay-prasad-as-new-head-of-vaccines-biologics">https://news.bloomberglaw.com/health-law-and-business/fda-names-vinay-prasad-as-new-head-of-vaccines-biologics</a>

DSGN

PTCT

'FDA Names Vinay Prasad as New Head of Vaccines, Biologics'- Bloomberg Law

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders will search for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges heavily from its normal worth. High amounts of trading activity could push option prices to exaggerated or underestimated levels. 
Below are some instances of options activity happening in the Health Care sector: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>UNH</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/09/25</td>
<td>$400.00</td>
<td>$51.3K</td>
<td>1.2K</td>
<td>2.2K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NVAX</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$12.50</td>
<td>$50.3K</td>
<td>9.5K</td>
<td>1.4K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MRNA</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$20.00</td>
<td>$33.2K</td>
<td>3.0K</td>
<td>578</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>HIMS</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$50.00</td>
<td>$137.0K</td>
<td>3.2K</td>
<td>466</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MRK</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/30/25</td>
<td>$84.00</td>
<td>$49.2K</td>
<td>684</td>
<td>443</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SRPT</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$55.00</td>
<td>$30.7K</td>
<td>660</td>
<td>405</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>VERA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$25.00</td>
<td>$165.0K</td>
<td>1.9K</td>
<td>306</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CAPR</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/19/25</td>
<td>$15.00</td>
<td>$48.0K</td>
<td>2.8K</td>
<td>274</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BIO</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
<td>$60.0K</td>
<td>401</td>
<td>250</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PFE</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$30.00</td>
<td>$36.2K</td>
<td>1.0K</td>
<td>150</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These bullet-by-bullet explanations have been constructed using the accompanying table. 
• For UNH (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNH#NYSE">UNH</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bearish, expiring in 3 day(s) on May 9, 2025. This event was a transfer of 137 contract(s) at a $400.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $51.3K, with a price of $375.0 per contract. There were 1204 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2200 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding NVAX (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVAX#NASDAQ">NVAX</a>), we observe a put option trade with bearish sentiment. It expires in 255 day(s) on January 16, 2026. Parties traded 74 contract(s) at a $12.50 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $50.3K, with a price of $680.0 per contract. There were 9573 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1429 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding MRNA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRNA#NASDAQ">MRNA</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 45 day(s) on June 20, 2025. Parties traded 537 contract(s) at a $20.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 24 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $33.2K, with a price of $62.0 per contract. There were 3002 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 578 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For HIMS (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HIMS#NYSE">HIMS</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 255 day(s) on January 16, 2026. This event was a transfer of 100 contract(s) at a $50.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 10 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $137.0K, with a price of $1370.0 per contract. There were 3252 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 466 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding MRK (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 24 day(s) on May 30, 2025. Parties traded 88 contract(s) at a $84.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 7 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $49.2K, with a price of $560.0 per contract. There were 684 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 443 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For SRPT (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SRPT#NASDAQ">SRPT</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be bearish, expiring in 10 day(s) on May 16, 2025. This event was a transfer of 83 contract(s) at a $55.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $30.7K, with a price of $370.0 per contract. There were 660 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 405 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For VERA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VERA#NASDAQ">VERA</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 45 day(s) on June 20, 2025. This event was a transfer of 300 contract(s) at a $25.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 6 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $165.0K, with a price of $550.0 per contract. There were 1903 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 306 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For CAPR (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CAPR#NASDAQ">CAPR</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 136 day(s) on September 19, 2025. This event was a transfer of 200 contract(s) at a $15.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 14 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $48.0K, with a price of $240.0 per contract. There were 2857 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 274 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For BIO (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BIO#NYSE">BIO</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be neutral, expiring in 10 day(s) on May 16, 2025. This event was a transfer of 250 contract(s) at a $210.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $60.0K, with a price of $240.0 per contract. There were 401 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 250 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding PFE (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PFE#NYSE">PFE</a>), we observe a put option trade with neutral sentiment. It expires in 10 day(s) on May 16, 2025. Parties traded 50 contract(s) at a $30.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $36.2K, with a price of $725.0 per contract. There were 1013 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 150 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more about unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Hims & Hers Health, Inc. Class A Common Stock

HIMS

VERA

10 Health Care Stocks With Whale Alerts In Today's Session

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday directing the Food and Drug Administration to accelerate approvals for domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities as his administration prepares to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44708204/trump-hints-at-major-tariff-on-imported-pharmaceuticals-us-pharma-stocks-tumble-in-wednesday-pre-market">announce new tariffs on imported medicines</a> within two weeks.
What Happened: The executive order aims to streamline the drug manufacturing approval process by eliminating unnecessary requirements and reducing the time needed to approve new U.S. production sites. 
According to the White House, building pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity currently takes &#8220;five to 10 years,&#8221; which it called &#8220;unacceptable from a national-security standpoint.&#8221;
&#8220;We don&#8217;t want to be buying our pharmaceuticals from other countries because if we&#8217;re in a war, we&#8217;re in a problem, we want to be able to make our own,&#8221; Trump said in a White House fact sheet.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/05/45213562/peter-schiff-challenges-us-dominance-after-elon-musks-china-consumption-narrative-a-50-drop-in-the-dollar-could-supercharge-chinas-global-consumer-base">Peter Schiff Challenges US Dominance After Elon Musk&#8217;s China Consumption Narrative — A 50% Drop In The Dollar Could Supercharge China&#8217;s Global Consumer Base</a>
Why It Matters: The executive order comes as U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturing has significantly declined over decades, with most active drug ingredients now produced in China and other countries. According to EY analysis, reported by Reuters, the U.S. imported $203 billion in pharmaceutical products in 2023, with 73% coming from Europe, primarily Ireland, Germany and Switzerland.
For investors, this points to broader <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/25/02/43982604/eli-lilly-doubles-capital-spending-on-us-drug-manufacturing-with-50-billion-target">shifts in the pharmaceutical secto</a>r, with companies such as Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LLY#NYSE">LLY</a>), Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>), and AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ABBV#NYSE">ABBV</a>) already unveiling new domestic manufacturing plans in reaction to the looming tariff threats.
The pending tariffs could significantly impact <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/personal-finance/25/04/45029761/experts-warn-tariffs-could-negatively-impact-pretty-fragile-supply-of-generic-drugs">generic drug makers</a>, which provide 90% of U.S. prescriptions, possibly worsening existing shortages. There are already over 250 drug shortages nationwide, down from 323 in early 2024 but still concerning for healthcare stakeholders.
Mark Cuban, whose Cost Plus Drugs company sells medications at substantial discounts, warned the tariffs could force <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/04/44658207/mark-cuban-says-cost-plus-drugs-faces-price-hike-threat-tariffs-would-force-us-to-pass-costs-directly-to-consumers">price increases on many drugs</a>: &#8220;If we have a high tariff on drugs coming from India, we won&#8217;t have a choice but to pass those costs on to consumers.&#8221;
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45213365/maxine-waters-to-obstruct-cryptocurrency-hearing-plans-shadow-hearing-instead">Maxine Waters Plans Walkout From Crypto Hearing, Will Host &#8216;Shadow Hearing&#8217; Opposing Trump Family Ventures: Report</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image Via Shutterstock

Trump Orders FDA To Fast-Track US Drug Production As Tariff Threat Looms On Imported Medicines: Cites National Security Concerns

BioNTech SE&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BNTX#NASDAQ">BNTX</a>)&nbsp;on Monday reported a first-quarter per-share loss of $1.82 (1.73 euros), up from 1.31 euros reported a year ago compared to beating <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings" rel="noreferrer noopener">the consensus of $2.02</a>.
The COVID-19 vaccine maker reported sales of $192.23 million (182 million euros), compared to 187 million euros, beating&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/05/g45190192/biontech-announces-first-quarter-2025-financial-results-and-corporate-update" rel="noreferrer noopener">the consensus of $177.40 million</a>.
Revenues during the first quarter of 2025 were mainly driven by revenues derived from BioNTech&#8217;s COVID-19 vaccine collaboration.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44535393/european-patent-office-rules-vaccine-developer-curevacs-amended-patent-valid-stock-jumps" rel="noreferrer noopener">European Patent Office Rules Vaccine Developer CureVac&#8217;s Amended Patent Valid, Stock Jumps</a>
&#8220;Our revenues for the first quarter reflect the seasonal demand for COVID-19 vaccines and are in line with our expectations,&#8221;&nbsp;said Jens Holstein, CFO of BioNTech. &#8220;BioNTech&#8217;s robust financial position empowers us to pursue our strategic goal of evolving into a leading biotech company with multiple oncology products by 2030.&#8221;
Cost of sales was 83.8&nbsp;million euros compared to 59.1&nbsp;million&nbsp;a year ago, mainly due to a positive impact of an inventory revaluation in the first quarter of 2024.
Research and development expenses were 525.6&nbsp;million euros compared to 507.5&nbsp;million euros a year ago. The increase was mainly driven by progressing late-stage clinical studies for candidates in BioNTech&#8217;s ADC and antibody portfolio.
Cash and cash equivalents plus security investments&nbsp;as of March&nbsp;31, 2025, reached 15.85 billion euros.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CFO Appointment</h2>
BioNTech appointed Ramón Zapata-Gomez to the Management Board on Monday as Chief Financial Officer, effective July 1, 2025. He will join BioNTech from Novartis AG&#8217;s (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVS#NYSE">NVS</a>) global biomedical research organization, where he has been serving as CFO since 2022. Ramón Zapata will succeed Jens Holstein, who, as previously planned and announced, will retire at the end of his term <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/05/g45189869/biontech-announces-appointment-of-ram-n-zapata-to-management-board-as-chief-financial-officer" rel="noreferrer noopener">on June 30, 2025</a>.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Guidance For 2025</h2>
BioNTech <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/25/03/44220746/pfizers-covid-19-shot-partner-biontech-reports-q4-profit-but-2025-guidance-falls-short-on-expectations" rel="noreferrer noopener">reaffirmed its fiscal year 2025</a> guidance of 1.7 billion-2.2 billion euros compared to the consensus of 2.08 billion euros and revenue phasing similar to 2024, primarily concentrated in the last three to four months, driving the full-year revenue figure. The revenue guidance assumes:
<ul>
<li>Relatively stable vaccination rates, pricing levels, and market share compared to 2024.</li>
<li>Estimated inventory write-downs and other charges by BioNTech&#8217;s collaboration partner Pfizer Inc&#8217;s (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PFE#NYSE">PFE</a>) that negatively influence BioNTech&#8217;s revenues.</li>
<li>Anticipated revenues from a pandemic preparedness contract with the German government.</li>
<li>Anticipated revenues from the BioNTech Group service businesses.</li>
<li>Potential changes to the law or governmental policy, including tariffs, public health policy, and evolving public sentiment worldwide, could further negatively impact our anticipated revenues and expenses.</li>
</ul>
BioNTech expects to focus investments on R&amp;D and scaling the business for late-stage development and commercial readiness in oncology while remaining cost-disciplined.
As part of BioNTech&#8217;s strategy, the Company may continue to evaluate appropriate corporate development opportunities to drive sustainable long-term growth and create future value.
Price Action: BNTX stock is down 3.65% at $101.11 at the last check Monday.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45200539/alibabas-ant-group-eyes-hong-kong-ipo-for-ant-international-as-it-pushes-forward-with-fintech-growth" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alibaba&#8217;s Fintech Arm Ant Group Eyes Hong Kong IPO For Ant International</a></li>
</ul>
Photo Marcus Krauss via Shutterstock

Earnings

Guidance

Management

BNTX

BioNTech Appoints Novartis Executive As Finance Chief, Reaffirms 2025 Outlook Focusing on Oncology Expansion

<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/05/05/trump-presidency-news/#link-ACU42F27X5AMNOGEOOY7YDJOFE">https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/05/05/trump-presidency-news/#link-ACU42F27X5AMNOGEOOY7YDJOFE</a>
President Donald Trump will sign an executive order Monday to streamline regulations surrounding pharmaceutical manufacturing in the United States, according to two White House officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe plans that have not been made public.
The order to incentivize domestic drug manufacturing comes ahead of possible <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/04/10/tariffs-pharmaceuticals-us-drugs-cost/">tariffs on pharmaceuticals</a> — a policy that's on hold, for now, pending an investigation by the Commerce Department to determine whether importing pharmaceuticals is a threat to national security. That Section 232 investigation could be completed this summer, one of the officials said Monday.
But regardless of whether the Trump administration puts tariffs on prescription drugs, Monday's executive order seeks to incentivize more domestic manufacturing of medications.

'Trump To Sign Order To Encourage Domestic Drug Manufacturing' - Washington Post

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders will search for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges heavily from its normal worth. High amounts of trading activity could push option prices to exaggerated or underestimated levels. 
Below are some instances of options activity happening in the Health Care sector: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>HIMS</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/09/25</td>
<td>$42.00</td>
<td>$31.6K</td>
<td>1.4K</td>
<td>3.6K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ALDX</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$2.50</td>
<td>$62.2K</td>
<td>973</td>
<td>2.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MDT</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/23/25</td>
<td>$83.00</td>
<td>$187.0K</td>
<td>24</td>
<td>1.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>KNSA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>07/18/25</td>
<td>$20.00</td>
<td>$42.7K</td>
<td>308</td>
<td>299</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MRK</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$80.00</td>
<td>$41.0K</td>
<td>5.0K</td>
<td>286</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ALT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/19/25</td>
<td>$6.00</td>
<td>$30.0K</td>
<td>5.1K</td>
<td>200</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>INSM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$72.50</td>
<td>$31.9K</td>
<td>2.7K</td>
<td>197</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PFE</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$30.00</td>
<td>$77.4K</td>
<td>29.7K</td>
<td>115</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CRL</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$115.00</td>
<td>$27.1K</td>
<td>434</td>
<td>104</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>UNH</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$480.00</td>
<td>$50.9K</td>
<td>849</td>
<td>63</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These bullet-by-bullet explanations have been constructed using the accompanying table. 
• For HIMS (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HIMS#NYSE">HIMS</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 4 day(s) on May 9, 2025. This event was a transfer of 80 contract(s) at a $42.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 6 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $31.6K, with a price of $395.0 per contract. There were 1486 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 3666 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For ALDX (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALDX#NASDAQ">ALDX</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 11 day(s) on May 16, 2025. This event was a transfer of 1778 contract(s) at a $2.50 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $62.2K, with a price of $35.0 per contract. There were 973 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2028 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding MDT (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MDT#NYSE">MDT</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 18 day(s) on May 23, 2025. Parties traded 1000 contract(s) at a $83.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 28 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $187.0K, with a price of $187.0 per contract. There were 24 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1006 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding KNSA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KNSA#NASDAQ">KNSA</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 74 day(s) on July 18, 2025. Parties traded 50 contract(s) at a $20.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 5 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $42.7K, with a price of $855.0 per contract. There were 308 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 299 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For MRK (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 46 day(s) on June 20, 2025. This event was a transfer of 79 contract(s) at a $80.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 23 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $41.0K, with a price of $520.0 per contract. There were 5034 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 286 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For ALT (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALT#NASDAQ">ALT</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bearish, expiring in 137 day(s) on September 19, 2025. This event was a transfer of 200 contract(s) at a $6.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $30.0K, with a price of $150.0 per contract. There were 5132 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 200 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For INSM (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INSM#NASDAQ">INSM</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be neutral, expiring in 46 day(s) on June 20, 2025. This event was a transfer of 49 contract(s) at a $72.50 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 15 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $31.9K, with a price of $658.0 per contract. There were 2748 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 197 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding PFE (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PFE#NYSE">PFE</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 256 day(s) on January 16, 2026. Parties traded 113 contract(s) at a $30.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 3 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $77.4K, with a price of $686.0 per contract. There were 29726 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 115 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For CRL (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRL#NYSE">CRL</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 11 day(s) on May 16, 2025. This event was a transfer of 28 contract(s) at a $115.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $27.1K, with a price of $970.0 per contract. There were 434 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 104 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding UNH (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNH#NYSE">UNH</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 11 day(s) on May 16, 2025. Parties traded 7 contract(s) at a $480.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 7 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $50.9K, with a price of $7280.0 per contract. There were 849 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 63 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more about unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

ALDX

INSM

KNSA

10 Health Care Stocks Whale Activity In Today's Session

U.S. stock futures climbed early Thursday, buoyed by strong earnings reports from two of the "Magnificent 7" companies after Wednesday's market close.
While markets were rattled by the Commerce Department's report of a 0.3% GDP contraction, major indexes rebounded and ended the previous session in positive territory.
Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) both topped earnings and revenue expectations, rising 6.63% and 7.40% in pre-market trading, respectively. 
Meanwhile, Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) slipped 0.54% in pre-market trading amid unverified rumors that the board was searching for a replacement for CEO Elon Musk — claims the company <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/05/45126370/elon-musk-will-remain-tesla-ceo-for-at-least-5-years-says-dan-ives-as-company-calls-replacement-rumors-absolutely-false">has since dismissed as false. </a>
On Thursday, investors will be closely watching the earnings of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), Mastercard Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MA#NYSE">MA</a>), and Airbnb Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ABNB#NASDAQ">ABNB</a>), with high expectations following a series of strong performances over the past couple of days.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/45031652/trumps-ai-and-crypto-czar-david-sacks-says-musk-isnt-out-of-doge-just-rationing-his-time-at-the-department-as-tesla-stock-surges-24-in-the-past-five-days" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump's AI And Crypto Czar David Sacks Says Elon Musk Going To ‘Stay Involved' In DOGE, Calls Entrepreneur Rationing His Time Sensible</a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/go/plus500-futures" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/go/plus500-futures" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a>
U.S. 10-Year Treasuries are at 4.15%, while the 2-Year Treasuries are at 3.60%. The CME Group's FedWatch&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tool</a>&nbsp;shows the markets pricing a 95% likelihood of interest rates remaining unchanged during the FOMC meeting that is scheduled to take place the first week of May, which marks an increase from 92.4% on Wednesday.
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Futures</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Change (+/-)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Dow Jones</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">0.83%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">S&amp;P 500</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">1.30%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Nasdaq 100</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">1.78%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Russell 2000</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">0.46%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
The&nbsp;SPDR S&amp;P 500 Trust ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) was up 0.04% on Monday, while the&nbsp;Invesco QQQ Trust&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which tracks the Nasdaq-100 Index, was down 0.013%, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;138z7gr&#x2A;_gcl_au&#x2A;MjA5Njc0MjY1My4xNzQwODM2NTUw&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;R1MxLjEuMTc0NDY0ODA3Mi4yLjAuMTc0NDY0ODA3NS4wLjAuMA..&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTc0NTgyOTMzMy4xLjEuMTc0NTgyOTYyMy4wLjAuMA..">Benzinga Pro</a>&nbsp;data.
Cues From Last Session:
Wednesday was a mixed bag for S&amp;P 500 sectors, with healthcare, industrials, and consumer staples posting good gains, while the energy segment dropped 2.70% on dropping crude oil prices and growing concerns of a recession following the latest GDP figures.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.35% during the day, while the Nasdaq Composite Index was down marginally, by 0.086%.
The markets were rattled by disappointing economic data during the session, particularly the GDP figures at -0.3%, down from 2.4% last year, and against a consensus estimate of 0.4%. Besides this, the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index came in at 2.3%, ahead of estimates at 2.2%, thwarting any possibility of a rate cut in May.
As of Tuesday, the Nasdaq 100 index was down 11.93% from its previous high of 22,222.61 points. The S&amp;P 500 index was 9.40% lower, as compared to the last record high of 6,147.43 points. On the other hand, Dow Jones was down 9.77% from its 52-week high of 45,073.63 points.
The Dow Jones index jumped 141 points or 0.35% to 40,669.36, whereas the S&amp;P 500 index surged 0.15% to 5,569.06. Nasdaq Composite ended 0.086% lower at 17,446.34, and the small-cap gauge, Russell 2000, was down 0.63%, trading at 1,964.12.
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Index</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Performance (+/-)</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Value</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Nasdaq Composite</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">-0.086%</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">17,446.34</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">S&amp;P 500</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">0.15%</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">5,569.06</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Dow Jones</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">0.35%</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">40,669.36</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Russell 2000</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">-0.63%</td>
<td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">1,964.12</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Insights From Analysts:
Ryan Detrick, a Chartered Market Technician, posted on X that markets shouldn&#8217;t be overly worried about the first-quarter GDP contraction, attributing the decline to companies front-loading imports to get ahead of upcoming tariffs.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Q1 GDP negative got the headlines this AM, but much of that was due to inventories and companies buying ahead of tariffs. Final Demand slowed, but was still fairly solid. Bottom line? Economy slowed ahead of tariffs, but isn&#39;t in a recession. <a href="https://twitter.com/sonusvarghese?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sonusvarghese</a> breaks it down. <a href="https://t.co/1mXl3edFGk">https://t.co/1mXl3edFGk</a>
&mdash; Ryan Detrick, CMT (@RyanDetrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanDetrick/status/1917678441484411033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Detrick notes that final demand has slowed, but is still &#8220;fairly solid.&#8221; The &#8220;Bottom Line,&#8221; he says, is that the economy slowed ahead of the tariffs, but this isn&#8217;t a recession.
Upcoming Economic Data:
Here&#8217;s what investors will be watching on Thursday:
<ul>
<li>The Initial Jobless Claims Report is set to be released by 8:30 AM ET. </li>
<li>The S&amp;P Final U.S. Manufacturing PMI for April will be released at 9:45 AM ET. </li>
<li>ISM Manufacturing and Construction Spending for April and March, respectively, will be released by 10:00 AM ET. </li>
<li>April Auto Sales figures will be announced during the day, with no time specified.</li>
</ul>
Stocks In Focus:
<ul>
<li>Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) will be announcing its second quarter results after markets close. The stock is down 1.10% pre-market, with analysts expecting the company to post $1.62 per share in earnings, from $94.6 billion in revenue. </li>
<li>Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) is up 4.01% pre-market, as the company is expected to release its first quarter results on Thursday, after markets close. Analysts expect earnings at $1.36 per share, from $155.1 billion in revenue. </li>
<li>Eli Lilly And Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LLY#NYSE">LLY</a>) is up 1.95% pre-market as investors wait in anticipation of the company&#8217;s first quarter results in the morning. Consensus estimates expect $3.46 per share in earnings, on $12.7 billion in revenue. </li>
<li>Mastercard Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MA#NYSE">MA</a>) will be releasing its first quarter results in a couple of hours, before markets open. The stock is up 0.31% pre-market, and analysts expect the company to post $3.56 per share in earnings, from $7.1 billion in revenue. </li>
<li>McDonald&#8217;s Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MCD#NYSE">MCD</a>) will be announcing its first quarter results before markets open, with analysts expecting $2.67 per share in earnings, on $6.12 billion in revenue. The stock is down 1.51% pre-market.</li>
</ul>
Commodities, Gold, And Global Equity Markets:
Crude oil futures continue to touch new lows, with the commodity down 2.31% in the early New York session, trading at $56.91 per barrel, amid growing recession fears.
Gold Spot US Dollar is down yet again, by 2.56%, hovering around 3,223.74 per ounce, down from its record high of $3,500.33 per ounce last week. The U.S. Dollar Index is up 0.39%, trading at the 99.8543 level.
Asian markets are mixed on Thursday, with Japan&#8217;s Nikkei, India&#8217;s Nifty 50, and the Hang Seng Index ending the day in the green, while South Korea&#8217;s KOSPI and China&#8217;s Shanghai index are down for the day. Australia&#8217;s ASX 200 is up, along with New Zealand&#8217;s NZX 50.
Read Next:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45127052/el-erians-monthly-asset-performance-table-highlights-oils-20-loss-bitcoin-and-golds-gain" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bitcoin, Gold Shine In April While Stocks, Oil Suffer— Mohamed El-Erian Flags Diverging Market Trends</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Economics

AAPL

ABNB

AMZN

KLAC

MSFT

QCOM

SBUX

TSLA

US Stock Futures Rise As Meta, Microsoft Earnings Fuel Optimism: GDP Slump Linked To Tariff Anticipation, Not Recession, Says Analyst

Press Releases

ViiV Healthcare Announces Reimbursement for APRETUDE for HIV-1 Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) under the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) Program

European Commission Approves Pfizer's RSV Vaccine ABRYSVO® to Help Protect Adults Aged 18-59 Against RSV Lower Respiratory Tract Disease

Pfizer Invites Shareholders to Attend Virtual 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders on April 24

Pfizer Provides Update on Oral GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Danuglipron

ACIP Votes to Expand Recommendation for Pfizer's RSV Vaccine ABRYSVO® to Include Adults Aged 50 to 59 at Increased Risk of Disease

Pfizer Advances Bold Vision for Future of Cancer Care at the ASCO 2025 Annual Meeting

Pfizer Declares Second-Quarter 2025 Dividend

Guardant Health Announces Strategic Collaboration With Pfizer to Support Development and Commercialization of New Cancer Therapies Using Guardant Infinity Smart Liquid Biopsy Platform

Pfizer's Sasanlimab Combination Significantly Improves Event-Free Survival in BCG-Naïve, High-Risk Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

Pfizer Reports Solid First-Quarter 2025 Results And Reaffirms 2025 Guidance

Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. - Class A Common Stock

Amneal Pharmaceuticals

Axsome Therapeutics

AstraZeneca PLC - American Depositary Shares

AstraZeneca

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Common Stock

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated - Common Stock

Corcept Therapeutics

Elanco Animal Health Incorporated Common Stock

Elanco Animal Health

GSK plc American Depositary Shares (Each representing two Ordinary Shares)

Haleon plc American Depositary Shares (Each representing two Ordinary Shares)

Haleon

Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc - Ordinary Shares

Jazz Pharmaceuticals

Johnson & Johnson

Eli Lilly

Merck & Co

Novo Nordisk

Novartis

Organon

Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. Common Stock

Prestige Consumer

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd Common Stock

Dr Reddy's Laboratories

Regencell Bioscience Holdings Limited - Ordinary Shares

Regencell Bioscience

Royalty Pharma plc - Class A Ordinary Shares

Royalty Pharma

Sanofi

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited American Depositary Shares (each representing 1/2 of a share of Common Stock)

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited American Depositary Shares

Teva Pharmaceutical Indus

Verona Pharma plc - American Depositary Shares

Comments

Pfizer

Intérêt court

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) Stock, Rapport sur les intérêts à découvert

Les gens regardent aussi

Notizie

PARTENAIRE / CONTRIBUTEUR

BENZINGA MONDIAL