How to buy Pfizer (PFE) shares from the UK

By   |   Verified by Andrew Boyd   |   Updated 9 Nov 2023

Pfizer Inc (NASDAQ: PFE) is a US-based multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation. It was established in 1849 and is headquartered in Manhattan, New York City.

If you’re looking to buy Pfizer shares from the UK, this is how to do it.

About the company

Pfizer overview

Pfizer is part of Big Pharma and was the second-largest pharmaceutical company in 2020, by revenue. It is best known for products such as Advil, Viagra, Xanax and Zoloft.

Pfizer’s pipeline includes treatments for a number of important therapeutic areas including Inflammation and Immunology, Oncology, Vaccines, Internal Medicine and Rare Diseases.

Subsidiaries of Pfizer include Pfizer Japan, Pfizer Australia and Hospira.

Unsure about what share dealer to use?

Where to buy Pfizer shares

eToro

On website

eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk

eToro

Highlights

  • Trade and invest in top financial instruments, including a wide selection of stocks.
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Hargreaves Lansdown

On website

Hargreaves Lansdown

Highlights

  • Offers easy-to-use trading platforms.
  • Invest across 20 international exchanges in shares, funds, bonds and investment trusts.
  • Dealing charges depend on how many trades you make each month.
Lightyear

On website

When you invest, your capital is at risk.

Lightyear

Highlights

  • With the launch of Vaults, you can earn interest rates of 5.17% APY on GBP, 3.63% APY on EUR, and 5.38% APY on USD, with a flat fee of 0.25% for all deposit sizes and no minimum or maximum limits.
  • Invest in over 3,000 international ETFs and stocks in the EU, UK, US, and more.
  • Simple and easy-to-understand pricing. Per order, Lightyear will charge 0.1% (up to $1 max) on US shares, £1 on UK shares, and €1 on EU shares.
  • Earn interest* on uninvested cash, USD (4.50%), EUR (3%), GBP (4.5%) p.a. gross.
  • No account-keeping fees.


*The interest rates are true as of 06.24.2024
* Finty will be paid a referral fee, including financial promotion if you open an account and deposit funds through some of the links on this page.


Pros

  • No withdrawal fees.
  • US Fractional Shares are available.
  • A low 0.35% foreign exchange fee.

Cons

  • Limited investment products.
Saxo Markets

On website

Saxo Markets

Highlights

  • It only takes five minutes to open your account online.
  • Get ultra-competitive spreads and commissions across all asset classes.
  • Get news, commentary and actionable trade ideas from their team of expert analysts.
Wombat Invest

On website

Wombat Invest

Highlights

  • Simple and straightforward investing app.
  • Allows you to invest in ETFs (Standard ISA or GIA) and Fractional Shares (GIA only).
  • Get a savings account and unlock 4.91 %AER (variable) paid daily.
  • Open an Individual Savings Account and invest up to £20,000 each year.



Disclaimer: When you invest, your capital is at risk.

Pepperstone

On website

80.9% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs

Pepperstone

Highlights

  • Trade gold, silver, oil, and more.
  • Enjoy industry-leading low spreads from 0.0 pips.
  • Regulated by ASIC, BaFin, CMA, CySEC, DFSA, FCA, and SCB.
Freetrade

On website

Freetrade

Highlights

  • With fractional shares, you can start investing from only £2.
  • Choose from thousands of stocks from the London Stock Exchange, NYSE and NASDAQ.
  • Access to a wide range of ETFs and Investment trusts.

Compare share brokers for UK investors with Finty.

First time buying?

How to buy Pfizer shares

Step 1: Select a broker

Find an online broker that allows you to access the US markets. There are many options that you can access from the UK. Next, consider the features that you want from a broker.

Listed below are some features you should consider:

Zero commission trading

This feature is offered by many platforms that offer access to US stocks. You can save money on share trading by not paying commissions.

Fractional share investment

Fractional share investment means that you can buy a portion of a share, rather than the entire thing. This is something you might consider because Pfizer shares can be very expensive.

A simple trading interface

It doesn't have to be difficult to trade shares. Make sure you choose a platform that is easy to use. New investors can benefit from educational guides and the ability to open a demo account.

Research and reporting

A platform with a strong research and reporting section will provide you with important information about Pfizer such as company overview, recommendations, and forecasts.

Step 2: Fund your account

To buy Pfizer shares, you will need to fund the account. Keep in mind that your funds may take some time to clear, which means you will probably not be able to trade immediately.

Step 3: Determine how much to invest

It might be a good idea to start with fractional shares as a first step. You can also make a profit regardless of shares dropping, as you can buy in at the average share price.

Step 4: Decide whether to buy shares or invest in an ETF

An Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) is regarded as a diversified investment and safer than investing in a single stock.

ETFs with exposure to Pfizer include iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF (IHE), Invesco Dynamic Pharmaceuticals ETF (PJP), and Global Beta Smart Income ETF (GBDV) among many others.

Step 5: Set up an order with your broker

You can choose from a variety of order types to customise when and how much you want to buy each share. These are the different order types:

Market order

Market orders are orders that can be purchased or sold at the current market price. However, the price that you are looking for may not match the one you receive. You may order Pfizer stock at US$42. The price of the Pfizer stock may drop to US$40 or rise to US$46 by the time the trade is executed.

Limit order

Execution-only orders for buy limit orders are executed at the price quoted or less. You may wish to buy Pfizer shares at US$40 per share. You can submit a limit order for this amount. It will only be fulfilled if the Pfizer share prices fall below US$40.

Stop limit

This type of order allows you to sell your shares at a certain price if the share price starts dropping. Let's suppose you want to sell your Pfizer shares if the price falls to US$38 per share. Your stop limit order is executed if the shares drop to this price.

Stop loss

Another mechanism aimed at preventing you taking a hit on your shares if the price drops. You nominate a price at which you want to sell your Pfizer shares - say US$37 per share. Your stop loss order will be executed if the price falls to that level but your order will be filled at the next available market price.

Step 6: Place your order

After you've chosen a broker and decided how you want to invest, you can place your order through that broker.

After you buy

What moves Pfizer's share price

When you invest in shares it becomes a necessity to observe share price movements and to watch company performance. Here's how:

Track Pfizer’s share price and company performance

This is important whether you are buying shares with the goal of holding them long term or for speculative purposes.

The news that Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has received full FDA approval is of pivotal importance for the company. With pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, you must pay attention to how its drug pipeline performs over time.

Pfizer’s competitive field

Pfizer’s competitors include Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA), AstraZeneca (NASDAQ: AZN), GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK), and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ). Roche Holding (RHHBY), Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY), AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), Novartis (NYSE: NVS), and Merck (NYSE: MRK).

Disclaimer: We put our customer’s needs first. The views expressed in this article are those of the writer’s alone and do not constitute financial advice. Advertisers cannot influence editorial content. However, Finty and/or the writer may have a financial interest in the companies mentioned. Finty is committed to providing factual, honest, and accurate information that is compliant with governing laws and regulations. Do your own due diligence and seek professional advice before deciding to invest in one of the products mentioned. For more information, see Finty’s editorial guidelines and terms and conditions.