Topic: Growth Stocks

PFIZER INC. $33 – New York symbol PFE

PFIZER INC. $33 (New York symbol PFE; Income Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 6.2 billion; Market cap: $204.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.1; Dividend yield: 3.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.pfizer.com) has agreed to merge with Irish drug maker Allergan plc (New York symbol AGN).

Allergan makes a variety of drugs, including treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, depression, dry eye, enlarged prostate, overactive bladder, cystic fibrosis and bacterial infections. It also makes the anti-wrinkle drug Botox.

Under the deal, Allergan shareholders will receive 11.3 Pfizer shares for each share they hold. That will give them a 44% stake in the combined company, which will be the world’s biggest pharmaceutical maker.

The new firm will operate out of Ireland and change its name to Pfizer plc (the shares will continue to trade on New York under the PFE symbol).

That will let it take advantage of that country’s low corporate tax rates: Pfizer’s tax rate would fall to 18% from 25% in the U.S.

The merger faces high regulatory hurdles, and the new firm would likely have to sell some of its operations.

The U.S. government is also clamping down on takeovers that let American companies shift their headquarters to low-tax countries. However, the deal would free up substantial cash for share buybacks and dividends.

Pfizer is still a buy.

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