The market for Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine and treatment has shrunk by billions of dollars a year.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla responded with several acquisitions, including the Seagen deal and cost-cutting measures. The New York-based drugmaker has also sharpened its focus on cancer treatments.
Investors fled from Pfizer as COVID worries declined and the company's shares are trading at around half their pandemic-era highs.
J.P. Morgan analyst Chris Schott said he expects Pfizer's stock to continue to trade in the current range due to limited revenue growth and stronger expectations for many of its rivals.
"We believe stronger new launch performance and/or further progress on the pipeline will be necessary to significantly change the narrative," he wrote in a research note.
Shares of the New York-based drugmaker were up about 1% at $31.05 in early trading.
Quarterly sales grew 3% to $13.3 billion, marking its first quarter of sales growth since COVID revenue peaked in late 2022.
The quarter was helped by sales of its heart disease drug, sold under brand names Vyndaqel or Vyndamax and cancer therapy Padcev.
Pfizer now expects annual profit to be in the range of $2.45 to $2.65 per share, compared with its prior profit forecast of $2.15 to $2.35 per share.
BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan Seigerman said given the company's previous conservative forecast, the increase was somewhat expected. "Still, we are encouraged to see Pfizer executing where it matters," he wrote in a research note.
Pfizer also raised its full-year sales forecast for its antiviral treatment Paxlovid for high-risk COVID cases by $500 million to $3.5 billion.
Vyndaqel sales came in $200 million ahead of analyst estimates at $1.32 billion for the quarter, according to LSEG data.
Sales of bladder and urinary tract cancer treatment Padcev were $394 million for the quarter, beating estimates of $362 million.
Quarterly sales of the COVID vaccine Pfizer makes with German partner BioNTech (22UAy.DE) were $195 million, while Paxlovid sales were $251 million. Analysts were expecting sales of $176 million for Comirnaty and $247.7 million for Paxlovid.
