How do I Buy Pfizer Stock?
Founded in 1849, Pfizer Inc. is one of America’s oldest corporations. The company produces a broad array of drugs, vitamins and vaccines. Pfizer played a leading role in introducing large-sale manufacture of products like penicillin and vitamin C. Following World War II, Pfizer entered the international market and is now a world leader in pharmaceuticals and related products. The company invests heavily in research and development to maintain its position as an industry leader. Pfizer is a publicly owned corporation, and the common stock trades with the ticker symbol PFF. If you are an investor looking for a company with a long track record of success, you may want to consider this one.
Call your broker and place an order to buy Pfizer stock in the conventional way. You’ll need an active brokerage account before placing the order. Pfizer shares are easy to buy, because the stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange and regional exchanges in the United States. Pfizer stock is also available on the London, Euronext and Swiss exchanges.
Step 2Buy Pfizer stock directly from the company by opening a direct stock purchase account with the company’s transfer agent, Computershare. This method can save you on transaction costs and allows you to purchase company stock with small investment requirements. You can open an account online on the Computershare website or by calling 800-733-9333.
Step 3Go to the Computershare Buy Stock Direct webpage, scroll down to Pfizer and click on "View" to review the company’s direct stock purchase plan. Then click on "Buy Now" and follow the prompts to open your account online. You’ll need to provide your name, contact information and Social Security number. You also have to give your bank account and routing number to enable electronic funds transfer.
Step 4Select your investment method. You can invest with one-time cash transactions or by arranging automatic monthly debits from your bank account. The minimum investment in 2013 was $500 cash or $50 per month for at least 10 months with automatic debiting. The transaction fee for a cash transaction is $5 plus 5 cents per share. For automatic debits, the fee is $2.50 plus 5 cents per share. A one-time setup fee of $10 applies.
Step 5Arrange to have your dividends reinvested if you wish. The fee for dividend reinvestment is 5 percent of the dividend amount or $3 per transaction, whichever is less.
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Tips
- Selling shares costs more than buying them. Selling shares with a market order will cost you $25 plus 12 cents per share. You can choose to sell via a batch order. A batch order to sell may not be executed at the current market price, because it is grouped with other sell orders and executed on predetermined dates, but it will cost you only $15 plus 12 cents per share.
Writer Bio
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, W D Adkins has been writing professionally since 2008. He writes about business, personal finance and careers. Adkins holds master's degrees in history and sociology from Georgia State University. He became a member of the Society of Professional Journalists in 2009.