Pfizer Could Hit $36 by Year-End as Analysts See 2-to-1 Payoff on Key Prostate Cancer Trial

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By Joel South Published
Pfizer Could Hit $36 by Year-End as Analysts See 2-to-1 Payoff on Key Prostate Cancer Trial

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Pfizer (NYSE:PFE | PFE Price Prediction) has quietly built momentum in 2026, with shares up 6.61% year-to-date and 2.70% over the past year. The stock is currently trading near $26.84 but remains well below its 52-week high of $27.94. Wall Street consensus sits at a cautious average price target of $28.14, reflecting a predominantly Hold posture across 28 analyst ratings.

Against that backdrop, Guggenheim stands out: The firm today raised its price target from $35 to $36 while reiterating a Buy rating, implying significant upside from current levels, well above the Street consensus of $28.14. But can PFE realistically reach $36 by year-end?

Guggenheim’s $36 PFE Prediction

Guggenheim’s thesis rests on a binary catalyst: Topline data from Pfizer’s MEVPRO-1 Phase 3 trial of mevrometostat in second-line and later metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) is expected to read out in the second half of 2026. The risk/reward is asymmetric in the bull’s favor: Guggenheim sees approximately $2 per share of potential upside on a successful readout versus roughly $1 of downside on failure. That 2-to-1 payoff profile, layered on an already-recovering core business, makes this a closely watched setup heading into the second half of 2026.

Key Drivers of PFE Stock Performance

  1. Oncology momentum: Pfizer’s oncology segment generated $4.435 billion in Q4 2025, up 9% year-over-year, with Padcev up 15%, Lorbrena up 46%, and oncology biosimilars up 77%. A MEVPRO-1 win would extend this runway into the next decade, adding a new prostate cancer franchise to an already growing portfolio.
  2. Non-COVID base business: The non-COVID portfolio delivered 9% operational revenue growth in Q4 2025, anchored by Vyndaqel at $1.688 billion and Eliquis at $2.020 billion. This steady cash generation supports the 6.41% dividend yield at current prices, or 43 cents per share quarterly.
  3. Pipeline depth: Pfizer has guided for approximately 20 pivotal trial starts in 2026, including 10 obesity assets from its Metsera acquisition and 4 starts for its PD-1 x VEGF bispecific. This breadth limits dependence on any single readout and creates multiple shots at re-rating the stock.

What Will It Take for PFE to Reach $36?

At approximately 5.69 billion shares outstanding, a $36 price would place Pfizer’s market cap well above today’s $152.3 billion. Getting there likely requires a positive MEVPRO-1 readout in H2 2026, continued non-COVID revenue growth sustaining $59.5 to $62.5 billion revenue guidance, and the market re-rating the stock closer to its forward P/E of 9x, one of the lowest valuations in large-cap pharma.

The primary risk is policy-driven pricing pressure, including Most-Favored-Nation drug pricing and IRA Medicare redesign, which could compress margins regardless of pipeline wins. Still, with a consistent earnings beat track record, with four consecutive quarters of outperformance in 2025, and a catalyst-rich second half ahead, Guggenheim’s $36 target reflects a credible, if bold, path for patient investors.

Photo of Joel South
About the Author Joel South →

Joel South covers large-cap stocks, dividend investing, and major market trends, with a focus on earnings analysis, valuation, and turning complex data into actionable insights for investors.

He brings more than 15 years of experience as an investor and financial journalist, including 12 years at The Motley Fool, where he served as an investment analyst, Bureau Chief, and later led the Fool.com investing news desk. He has also co-hosted an investing podcast and appeared across TV and radio discussing market trends.

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