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Pfizer to buy obesity drug developer Metsera for up to $7.3 billion

Pfizer rose in premarket trading after it announced that it would acquire anti-obesity drug developer Metsera, which puts the pharmaceutical giant back in the weight-loss medication game after its own pill didn’t advance to the final stages of trials.

The transaction is a valued at $47.50 per share (roughly $4.9 billion by enterprise value), which could rise to $70 per share (or $7.3 billion) if certain clinical and regulatory milestones are met. Metsera closed at $33.32 on Friday and shot up nearly 60% in premarket trading.

The deal, which was paid for with a combination of cash and debt, is expected to close by the end of the year.

Metsera is developing a weight-loss shot (called MET-233i) that has shown promise but is still in early trials, meaning it will likely be years before it reaches patients. Notably, the shot is able to be taken monthly rather than weekly like the GLP-1 shots currently on the market made by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk.

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SpaceX gets a wave of bullish ratings from Wall Street analysts

SpaceX received more than a dozen positive analyst calls on Tuesday — including from major Wall Street banks — as they initiate coverage on Elon Musk’s space and AI company.

SpaceX went public on June 12 at a $2.2 trillion valuation, the largest debut in history. While the company hasn’t yet posted a profit, it seems to have convinced Wall Street that it will get there and grow its valuation on the way.

Of the at least 17 analysts that gave a rating on Tuesday, all but one gave it a “buy” or “outperform” rating. MoffettNathanson was "neutral."

The ratings come as SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 index, a benchmark tech-heavy basket of companies that underpins millions of portfolios. The inclusion adds built-in demand for the stock from index funds and ETFs.

Still, SpaceX fell more than 5% on Tuesday amid a broader sell-off, and is currently effectively flat from its opening price of $150 a share.

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