Activists demand more cost cuts

Article Excerpt

These two medical industry leaders are facing demands from activists to expand their current cost-cutting plans. While that pressure helps draw investor attention to their high-quality assets, Pfizer is your better choice for long-term gains. PFIZER INC. $30 is a buy. The company (New York symbol PFE; Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 5.7 billion; Market cap: $171.0 billion; Dividend yield: 5.6%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.pfizer.com) is one of the world’s largest makers of prescription drugs. Its top-selling brands include Enbrel (arthritis), Ibrance (breast cancer) and Prevnar (pneumonia). Activist investor Starboard Value recently announced that it now owns roughly $1 billion of the company’s shares. Starboard will probably push the company to expand its current cost-cutting plans. Eliminating jobs and closing plants should cut $4.0 billion from its annual costs by the end of 2024. A second cost-saving plan, aimed at improving Pfizer’s manufacturing efficiency, should save a total of $1.5 billion by the end of 2027. Meantime, Pfizer continues to earmark a high 20% of sales to the…