Jan 15 (Reuters) - Pfizer ( PFE ) will sell shares worth

2.50 billion pounds ($3.05 billion) in Haleon ( HLN ), lowering

its stake in the British consumer healthcare company to about

7.3% from 15%, its bookrunner JPMorgan said on Wednesday.

The sale of 700 million Haleon ( HLN ) shares at 357 pence apiece is

a discount of about 2.8% to the stock's closing price on

Tuesday.

Shares in the maker of Sensodyne, Panadol and Advil, which

gained 17% in 2024, were up 0.7% at 369.7 pence in morning trade

on Wednesday, in line with the broader FTSE 100.

The sale represents nearly 7.7% of the issued share capital

of Haleon ( HLN ), which was created by the merger of GSK and

Pfizer's ( PFE ) consumer healthcare businesses in 2019. It was spun off

from the British drugmaker in 2022.

Pfizer ( PFE ), which will remain Haleon's ( HLN ) largest shareholder after

the sale, said in 2023 it would cut its ownership in a "slow and

methodical" manner within months.

The U.S. drugmaker is under pressure from hedge fund

Starboard Value to hold its management accountable for

underperformance. Last October it sold a $3.3 billion stake in

Haleon ( HLN ), while GSK sold its entire stake in May.

JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley are joint global coordinators

and joint bookrunners for the share sale.

In October Haleon missed third-quarter forecasts, hurt by a

stronger pound and lower sales of its painkiller Panadol in

Australia and the Middle East.

($1 = 0.8199 pounds)