New products should help make up at least part of the gap from lost sales to generics. Pfizer and partner Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:BMY) plan to launch Eliquis this year. The blood-thinning drug could reach peak sales of more than $4 billion, according to Leerink Swann. However, the ramp-up could take some time as Eliquis fights for market share with Boehringer Ingelheim's Pradaxa and Xarelto, which is jointly marketed by Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) and Bayer.

Another potential rising star for Pfizer is Xeljanz, which already received FDA approval for rheumatoid arthritis and is in phase 3 trials for treating psoriasis and ulcerative collitis. Xeljanz should be a threat to drugs already on the market, such as J&J's Remicade and AbbVie's Humira. The interesting thing to watch will be how well Pfizer can position Xeljanz, which is available as a pill, against Humira, which is administered via injection.  Timothy Anderson with Berstein Research projects that Xeljanz could hit $2.5 billion in annual sales.

What to expect while you're expecting What should you expect while you're expecting? For one thing, count on additional share buybacks. Pfizer bought $8.2 billion in shares during 2012 and looks to buy plenty more this year. Another thing to expect is continuation of nice dividends. The forward dividend yield currently stands at 3.6%.

Pfizer has met or exceeded analyst estimates for the past five quarters. My view is that it should continue to do so. Sales might continue to decline with generic challenges. As long as Pfizer keeps beating expectations, though, the big share gains will keep on coming.

What stock do you expect will be the biggest winner for 2013? The Motley Fool's chief investment officer has selected his No. 1 stock for the new year. Find out which stock it is in our brand-new free report: "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2013." I invite you to take a copy, free for a limited time. Just click here to access the report and find out the name of this under-the-radar company.

The article Pfizer's Big Gain on Big Declines originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Keith Speights has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Johnson & Johnson. The Motley Fool owns shares of Johnson & Johnson.

Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.