After COVID-19 infected the globe, a slew of companies raced to create the ultimate vaccine which would promise extraordinary returns. Those which successfully tackled the epidemic via vaccines & pills were Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, Sputnik, among others.

In the USA, Pfizer is regarded as a pioneer in the realm of pharmaceuticals, founded all the way back in 1849 by two German immigrants as a fine chemicals business. Over the years, Pfizer has evolved & capitalized on the emerging trends in the pharma & health sectors, with its brands including the immensely-popular Advil, Lyrica and Viagra drugs.

Decade after decade, pharmaceutical companies have come & go, and one which marked a dent in the sphere of health would be Moderna. It’s an American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company which predominantly centers around therapeutics and vaccines, and its recent success related to the epidemic were paramount.

Both Pfizer and Moderna formulated, produced & delivered hundreds of thousands of their accredited COVID-19 remedies, but which of the two has been more successful recently?

Recent Performance

In the most recent quarter ended July, Pfizer excelled in every financial metric out there:

•    Revenue: $27.74 billion

•    Net income: $9.91 billion

•    Diluted earnings per share: $1.73

The pharma behemoth enjoyed a tremendous period. Revenue grew by 47% on a year-to-year basis, trumping Wall Street expectations by a significant margin. Net income of $9.91 billion represented a 78% jump from the same time a year ago.

Its vaccine, coined Paxlovid, is regarded as the main moneymaker, bringing in $8.8 billion in revenue in the second quarter of this fiscal year. As new waves of the infamous COVID virus emerged across China, and with many individuals opting in for second & third doses of Paxlovid, Pfizer was swimming in prosperity.

Looking into Moderna, its recent performances have also been quite impressive:

• Revenue: $4.7 billion

• Net income: $2.2 billion

• Adjusted earnings per share: $5.24

The optimistic figures were predominantly driven by the surge in COVID-19 vaccine sales, yet, it remains to be the firm’s only product which is available commercially. However, not everything is very bright for Moderna.

The company’s costs have risen to $1.4 billion, or from a different perspective, it ate up 30% of the revenue generated from its trusted vaccine. This is because of significant reductions in the deliveries of its vaccine to both developed and poorer nations.

Performance of Pfizer, Inc., stock over 5 years. Source: tradingview.com

Looking into the Pfizer stock (NYSE: PFE) from a technical lens, it can be seen that the stock is moving in a negative short-term and long-term trajectory.[1]

Priced at nearly $43 apiece, the stock hovers near 52-week lows and is trading between support levels near $42, and two resistance levels by $45 and $50.

The Pfizer stock has been decayed in 2022 to say the least, losing a quarter of its value throughout the year amid global uncertainty caused by macroeconomic conundrums and surging investor caution.

Performance of Moderna, Inc., stock over 5 years. Source: tradingview.com

On the other side of the spectrum, Moderna stock (NASDAQ: MRNA) also exhibits a very negative long-term trend, but the short-term trajectory looks promising.[2]

The liquid Moderna stock with a price-tag of nearly $134 is trading above a support level of $117, and may perhaps break the $134 barrier and potentially the $183 barrier in the coming month.

While the MRNA stock witnessed its worst year so far, losing nearly half of its value, the future looks positive.[3]

Expectations of Pfizer & Moderna Stock

Both stocks of Pfizer and Moderna are highly regarded in the eyes of analysts as the stocks of the future. Based on current performances and taking into consideration the future endeavors of each firm, the expectations are as follows:

- Pfizer

o   High: $76

o   Average: $55

o   Low: $44

-  Moderna

o   High: $304

o   Average: $202

o   Low: $77  [4]

As seen, much is expected from Pfizer and Moderna, but Moderna has the edge of the other, despite the credibility of Pfizer and its long history of success.

Moderna is expected to grow exponentially despite the dauting market conditions of today, and it may be a good time for stock purchase.[5]

Adam Austera, analyst of Ozios

[1,2,3,4,5] Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and current expectations, which may be inaccurate, or based on the current economic environment which is subject to change. Such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance. They involve risks and other uncertainties which are difficult to predict. Results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements.