Maven: Pfizer's Future

In the star-shine of this morning's predawn hours, it became clear to The Business Press Maven that one week after Pfizer's(PFE Quote) pumping of its prospects, then dumping of its signature new drug, we have hit the most important stage of news coverage.

With a touch of the perspective that time can give a business journalist, he can ask the all-important question: Where, exactly, can Pfizer go from here?

The answer -- if there is, in fact, a coherent, specific, workable one -- is of immense importance to investors. Opportunity can obviously be had by investing in a once-great company coming off a huge disappointment if there is an identifiable way to form a comeback plan. Without a certain plan, though, investors need to beware. The most common trapdoor of investing awaits those who reflexively buy formerly good companies on bad dips because of investment maxims that are actually famous last words, such as "It can't get worse" or "I'll just trade the bounce up." ...