Topic: How To Invest

Dividend Advisor Hotline – Friday, December 16, 2016

Article Excerpt

PFIZER INC., $32.84, New York symbol PFE, is one of the world’s leading prescription drugmakers. Its top-selling brands include Lyrica (epilepsy), Celebrex (arthritis pain) and Enbrel (plaque psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis). The company also makes over-the-counter medications and supplements, including Advil (pain relief), Centrum (vitamins) and Robitussin (cough syrup). Starting with the March 2017 payment, the company will increase its quarterly dividend by 6.7%, to $0.32 a share from $0.30. The new annual rate of $1.28 yields a high 3.9%. In the quarter ended September 30, 2016, the company’s revenue rose 7.9%, to $13.0 billion from $12.1 billion a year earlier. At $3.7 billion, earnings were unchanged. Earnings per share increased 1.7%, to $0.61 from $0.60, on fewer shares outstanding. The company expects to earn between $2.38 and $2.43 a share for all of 2016. The stock trades at 13.7 times the midpoint of that range. Pfizer has now paid quarterly dividends for over 78 years. Since 2011, the payout has risen an average of…