Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) Trading Down 0.4%

Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)’s stock price dropped 0.4% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $145.97 and last traded at $145.97. Approximately 964,659 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 68% from the average daily volume of 3,003,641 shares. The stock had previously closed at $146.50.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ZTS has been the topic of a number of research reports. Barclays raised their price target on Zoetis from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $195.00 target price (down from $220.00) on shares of Zoetis in a research note on Tuesday, April 16th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on Zoetis from $215.00 to $195.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 2nd. StockNews.com downgraded Zoetis from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 20th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Zoetis from $190.00 to $226.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Zoetis has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $221.75.

Zoetis Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 2.00, a current ratio of 3.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. The company has a 50 day moving average of $175.48 and a 200 day moving average of $180.15. The firm has a market cap of $67.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.79, a PEG ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.85.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $1.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.08). Zoetis had a net margin of 27.43% and a return on equity of 51.25%. The firm had revenue of $2.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.19 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.15 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Zoetis Inc. will post 5.79 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Zoetis Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.432 per share. This represents a $1.73 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.18%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 18th. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.12%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 363 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $197.74, for a total value of $71,779.62. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,417 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,037,257.58. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 2,209 shares of company stock valued at $371,293. 0.15% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Zoetis

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ZTS. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Zoetis by 222.5% during the 4th quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 129 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Webster Bank N. A. boosted its stake in Zoetis by 89.1% during the 1st quarter. Webster Bank N. A. now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo LLC boosted its stake in Zoetis by 105.5% during the 3rd quarter. Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo LLC now owns 187 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky boosted its stake in Zoetis by 371.4% during the 4th quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 165 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Private Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new position in Zoetis during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. 92.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Zoetis

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.