Pfizer: The pharma giant is putting its Covid cash to work

2/26/23 7:00PM

Pfizer’s dealmaking continues to accelerate, as the company is reportedly in talks to acquire Seagen, a biotech company with a number of promising cancer treatments, in a deal that could be worth more than $30bn.

‍The Covid booster

‍The news comes as Pfizer’s balance sheet is in a very healthy place. The company has seen its revenue grow to more than $100bn last year, as sales of its vaccine — which it developed in partnership with BioNTech — and Covid pill soared. That’s left the group with a cash balance that it has been deploying in earnest, with the ink barely dry on the company’s $5.4bn and $11.6bn acquisitions from last year.

It’s easy to see why Pfizer is eager to secure its future. If you strip out Covid products, Pfizer’s revenue would fall to $44bn last year — some ~$21bn below where it was in 2010. Additionally, the company is facing a “patent cliff”, as its exclusivity on blockbuster drugs such as Xtandi and Ibrance is set to expire by 2030 — which will create another ~$17bn hole in its sales.

Hyunsoo Rim

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JetBlue is raising its bag fees as fuel costs squeeze airlines

JetBlue will reportedly hike its bag fees, as the cost of jet fuel continues to climb amid the war in Iran. It’s the latest example of carriers finding ways to push rising costs onto travelers.

Last week, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said that if fuel prices remain elevated, fares would need to rise another 20% for his airline to break even this year.

As CNBC reported, when one airline raises fees, others tend to follow.

Earlier this month, JetBlue hiked its first-quarter outlook for operating revenue per seat mile to between 5% and 7%, saying that strong Q1 demand helped “partially offset additional expenses realized from operational disruptions and rising fuel costs.” Now, the carrier appears to be making moves to further boost revenue to offset those costs.

Earlier on Monday, JetBlue rival Alaska Air lowered its Q1 profit forecast. The refining margins for the carrier’s cheapest fuel option — sourced from Singapore and representing about 20% of Alaska’s overall supply — have spiked 400% since February.

JetBlue did not immediately respond to a request for comment.