Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) Trading Up 2%

Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) traded up 2% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $152.85 and last traded at $152.78. 1,119,288 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 61% from the average session volume of 2,906,440 shares. The stock had previously closed at $149.77.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Zoetis Trading Up 2.5 %

The firm’s 50 day moving average is $179.11 and its 200 day moving average is $180.74. The company has a market cap of $70.20 billion, a PE ratio of 30.21, a PEG ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 3.36 and a quick ratio of 2.00.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $1.24 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 analysts’ expectations of $2.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.15 EPS. Zoetis’s revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Zoetis Inc. will post 5.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Zoetis Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 19th will be given a dividend of $0.432 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 18th. This represents a $1.73 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.13%. Zoetis’s payout ratio is presently 33.93%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Zoetis

In other Zoetis news, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 923 shares of Zoetis stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.43, for a total transaction of $176,689.89. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 17,569 shares in the company, valued at $3,363,233.67. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders sold a total of 2,209 shares of company stock worth $408,453 over the last three months. 0.12% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Zoetis

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings 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 buying an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Evermay Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Zoetis by 439.3% during the 1st quarter. Evermay Wealth Management LLC now owns 151 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the period. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC increased its position in Zoetis by 430.8% during the 1st quarter. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 138 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the period. Worth Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Zoetis during the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Webster Bank N. A. grew its position in shares of Zoetis by 89.1% in the 1st quarter. Webster Bank N. A. now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. 92.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.