Alphabet (GOOG), Pfizer (PFE) And Three Other Blue Chips Report Earnings: See How Investors Are Playing Them

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) is trending slightly lower today, mainly due to a disappointing 2016 outlook. The latest quarterly report topped analysts’ estimates, despite profit falling by half year-over-year. Fourth quarter revenue rose by 7% to $14.05 billion, above estimates of $13.61 billion. Adjusted for non-recurring costs, earnings stood at $0.53 per share, just above expectations of $0.52 per share. Pfizer was severely affected by the strong dollar, having registered in one instance an $806 million charge for currency devaluation. What put investors off today was the weak forward guidance, with the company looking for earnings between $2.20 and $2.30 per share, whereas Wall Street analysts were hoping for $2.36 per share. Pfizer’s revenue estimates of $49 billion-to-$51 billion were also below analysts projections of $52.49 billion in revenue.

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) is also among the darlings of the hedge fund world, with 97 of the funds followed by Insider Monkey owning its shares. Ken Fisher is betting big on Pfizer, and increased his position by 1% over the third quarter. His fund, Fisher Asset Management, held 31.9 million shares at the end of September, then valued at more than $1 billion.

Solid growth in auto sales helped Ally Financial Inc (NYSE:ALLY)‘s profit soar during the fourth quarter. One of the largest U.S auto lenders, Ally Financial reported an increase in consumer auto originations to $9.3 billion from $9.0 billion a year before. Net income rose by 49% year-over-year to $263 million or $0.52 per share, surpassing analysts’ estimates of $0.51 per share. Forward guidance, however, fell below Wall Street’s expectations, as Ally Financial anticipates a 15% increase in profits to $2.30, while analysts were projecting $2.37 per share. The stock has dipped into the red this morning, currently down by roughly 1%, having already slumped by 12.5% since the start of the year.

Within our database, 57 elite hedge funds held 36% of Ally Financial Inc (NYSE:ALLY)’s outstanding stock at the end of the third quarter. Stephen Feinberg made a huge bet on this stock, having pledged nearly 70% of his public equity portfolio’s capital to this one investment. According to its latest 13F filing, Cerberus Capital Management held 41.5 million shares of Ally Financial, unchanged over the third quarter.

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