Why Is Everyone Talking About Pfizer?

If you follow stock market news, chances are you have come across plenty of stories about Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) over the past three months. Pfizer is one of a number of companies racing to develop a safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19, the novel coronavirus that has taken the lives of more than 780,000 people worldwide, including over 170,000 Americans. Among about 30 companies in the running, Pfizer is widely considered one of the leaders of the pack.

Pfizer investors have been on a volatile ride recently, especially since the company launched its COVID-19 efforts. Shares of the $213 billion market cap company are down about 2% compared to an increase of 5.08% for the S&P 500 year-to-date. With that said, Pfizer has a lot going on besides its new coronavirus programs. Let's take a closer look at the different aspects of Pfizer's business and see if the company is a good buy with or without the success of its vaccine candidate.