Pfizer exits Haleon with £2.4bn stake sale
By Benjamin Chiou
Date: Wednesday 19 Mar 2025
(Sharecast News) - Pfizer has fully exited its investment in UK-listed pharma group Haleon, selling off its remaining 7.3% stake for £2.5bn.
The transaction marks an "important milestone" for Haleon, according to chief executive Brian McNamara, with Pfizer having held a 32% stake at the time of the company's spin-off from GSK in July 2022.
"Nearly three years on from demerger, Haleon is in a position of strength and is well placed to capitalise on the significant opportunities ahead," he said.
Haleon was originally formed in 2019 from the merger of GSK and Pfizer's consumer healthcare divisions - GSK owned two thirds, while Pfizer owned the rest - before being spun off by GSK three years later.
As part of Wednesday's deal, Pfizer sold around 618m shares in Haleon to institutional investors at a price of 385p - a slight discount to Tuesday's closing price of 391.1p - while Haleon made an off-market purchase of 44m shares from Pfizer at the same price for £170m.
The off-market purchase is part of the £500m allocated to share buybacks in 2025, which Haleon announced last month.
"Our participation in the offering is consistent with our disciplined capital allocation priorities, and supports our commitment to deliver attractive returns for shareholders, underpinned by a strong investment grade balance sheet," McNamara said.
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