Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) Given Average Recommendation of “Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) have been given a consensus rating of “Buy” by the eleven brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $211.89.

A number of brokerages have recently commented on ZTS. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Zoetis in a report on Monday, December 9th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $196.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Zoetis from $225.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on shares of Zoetis from $210.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Leerink Partners began coverage on shares of Zoetis in a report on Monday, December 2nd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $215.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Leerink Partnrs upgraded shares of Zoetis to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 2nd.

Zoetis Stock Performance

NYSE ZTS opened at $166.01 on Tuesday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $170.93 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $179.95. The stock has a market cap of $74.90 billion, a PE ratio of 31.20, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.89. Zoetis has a fifty-two week low of $144.80 and a fifty-two week high of $200.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 2.27 and a current ratio of 3.69.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.46 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $2.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.29 billion. Zoetis had a net margin of 26.55% and a return on equity of 51.98%. Zoetis’s revenue was up 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.36 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Zoetis will post 5.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Zoetis Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, January 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 21st. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.20%. This is a positive change from Zoetis’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio is currently 32.52%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Zoetis

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ZTS. Secure Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Zoetis by 39.8% during the fourth quarter. Secure Asset Management LLC now owns 2,297 shares of the company’s stock worth $374,000 after acquiring an additional 654 shares in the last quarter. Whalen Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Zoetis during the fourth quarter worth about $271,000. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. increased its position in shares of Zoetis by 15.1% during the fourth quarter. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. now owns 165,694 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,997,000 after acquiring an additional 21,750 shares in the last quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Zoetis by 31.4% during the fourth quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 3,691 shares of the company’s stock worth $625,000 after acquiring an additional 882 shares in the last quarter. Finally, True North Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Zoetis during the fourth quarter worth about $3,049,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.80% of the company’s stock.

Zoetis Company Profile

Zoetis Inc engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and commercialization of animal health medicines, vaccines, and diagnostic products and services in the United States and internationally. The company commercializes products primarily across species, including livestock, such as cattle, swine, poultry, fish, and sheep and others; and companion animals comprising dogs, cats, and horses.