We recently published a list of Why Are These 10 Dividend Stocks Declining? In this article, we are going to take a look at where Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) stands against other declining dividend stocks.

The dividend season is here, and the big announcements are rolling in!

The overall market atmosphere has been moderately negative since the new tariffs from the US. Soon after he entered the Oval Office, President Donald Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on imported goods from Canada and Mexico. Chinese products, meanwhile, are left tackling an even higher tariff of 60 percent.

As a result, on Monday this week, the broader market noted a sharp decline of 0.76 percent, while the Nasdaq reported the same trajectory but at 1.20 percent.

Regardless of market conditions, investors have consistently shown interest in dividend stocks, particularly those from companies that have steadily increased their payouts, making them popular among income-focused investors. Analysts have long tracked the performance of Dividend Aristocrats, both historically and in recent times.

In a January 2019 blog post titled “Dividend Growth Strategies and Downside Protection,” Phillip Brzenk, Global Head of Multi-Asset Indexes, examined how dividend growth strategies perform, especially during market downturns. He noted that since the end of 1989, there have been six calendar years where the broader market delivered negative returns. Interestingly, during each of those years, the Dividend Aristocrats outperformed the broader equity benchmark by an average margin of 13.28%. In addition, in three of those challenging years, they still managed to generate positive total returns. Brzenk further pointed out that when analyzed on a monthly basis, the Dividend Aristocrats outperformed the market 53% of the time, with an average outperformance of 0.16%.

As noted earlier, dividend growth stocks have outperformed the broader market. From its launch in 2005 through September 2023, the Dividend Aristocrats Index delivered a total return of 10.35%, exceeding the broader market’s 9.54% return over the same period. Moreover, these stocks experienced lower volatility, measured at 15.35%, compared to the market’s 16.31%. This suggests that their prices tend to be more stable, making them less susceptible to sharp fluctuations and highlighting their overall resilience.

Our Methodology

In the list of underwhelming performers we will be looking into today, the dividend companies with a minimum of $1 billion in market capitalization alone are considered. Then we checked the returns of these stocks and selected 10 stocks that fell on February 6, 2024. The stocks are ranked according to their dividend yields, as of February 6. We also hedge fund sentiment for each stock, as of Insider Monkey’s database of Q3 2024.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE)

Annual dividend yield: 6.62%

Ex-Dividend Date: January 24, 2025

Number of Hedge Funds: 82

Quarterly dividend amount:  $0.43

The pharmaceutical giant and blue-chip favorite for dividend-focused investors, Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) fell by 3.5% in a week despite a growth in the sales including Comirnaty, owing to the threat to vaccines from the new political environment in 2025.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been a vocal opponent of the COVID vaccines, particularly from Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE). The Covid vaccines and pills earned Pfizer its peak sales during the pandemic and were termed the “deadliest vaccine ever made” by Kennedy. Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE)’s CEO, Albert Bourla, claims that the entry of Kennedy as the secretary of state might bring down his hostile view against vaccines—meanwhile, the company reaffirmed their investors with projected revenues between $61 billion and $64 billion for FY25.

Regardless, with 82 hedge funds as of 2024 Q3, Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) is expected to make a turnaround with one of its most expensive acquisitions, Seagen. Jim Cramer, the host of Mad Money, made the following comment about the company:

“We still haven’t seen the breakout anti-cancer drugs that would justify the deal’s $43 billion price tag. Now, maybe we’ll hear something good this quarter. If so, the stock could soar, minimal downside at these low levels…”

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) continues to stand as a leader in the pharmaceutical industry. It may change depending on its use of R&D and acquisitions in managing a comparatively unfavorable political environment. It has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.43 per share, payable to shareholders on March 7, 2025.

Overall, PFE ranks 1st on our list of declining dividend stocks. While we acknowledge the potential for PFE as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than PFE but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and Complete List of 59 AI Companies Under $2 Billion in Market Cap

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.