4 Biggest Earnings Releases Next Week

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Another week into this fall's earnings season and Wall Street is still moving at full speed. Here is what to watch. PFE data by YCharts

Pfizer (PFE)

Background: Pfizer, a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the discovery, development, manufacture and sale of medicines for people and animals worldwide. Pfizer trades an average of 27 million shares per day with a marketcap of $191 billion.

52-Week Range: $18.15 to $26.09

Book Value: $10.65

Price to Book: 2.4

Pfizer is forecast to record lower third-quarter earnings before the market opens on Oct. 30.

The consensus estimate is currently 53 cents a share, a drop of 9 cents (14.5%) from 62 cents during the equivalent quarter last year. Analysts' estimates this quarter range from 49 cents, to a high of 57 cents per share. The estimates are not pretty, but at least they are fully priced in.

TheStreet's Henry Schwartz writes about Pfizer in HOV, NOK, PFE: A Few Updates.

Seventeen analysts rate Pfizer a buy or strong buy out of 21 analysts. The company has three holds and one total sell ratings. Shares have really appreciated, gaining 30% in the last year, and the average analyst target price for Pfizer is $27.94.

Pfizer is in a strong bull trend. The moving averages are trending higher, and shareholders are making capital gains. I have written about Pfizer in several articles at TheStreet. I like Pfizer for the outsized dividend. Trend followers will hold a long position until a technical break results in a signal to exit.

As mentioned, Pfizer currently pays 88 cents per share in dividends for a yield of 3.5%. The payout percentage is well under 50%, based on this year's estimated earnings of $2.21

Shares moved higher 3.5% in the last month, and I believe the price will remain strong, and shares should be bought on dips. While I don't believe the current health care policies are helping drug makers, Pfizer is positioned to continue paying their healthy dividend.

Short sellers are next to impossible to find. Short interest is so low I only include it to demonstrate the smart money is not betting against this company: 0.8% of the float is short based on the last reported numbers.

PFE Revenue Quarterly data by YCharts

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