GoalVest Advisory LLC Grows Position in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)

GoalVest Advisory LLC boosted its stake in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 29.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 679 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $115,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Zoetis by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,386 shares of the company’s stock valued at $866,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the period. Forum Financial Management LP lifted its position in Zoetis by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 7,386 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,458,000 after buying an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Zoetis by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,640 shares of the company’s stock valued at $324,000 after buying an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Prossimo Advisors LLC lifted its position in Zoetis by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Prossimo Advisors LLC now owns 3,498 shares of the company’s stock valued at $690,000 after buying an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Finally, River Street Advisors LLC lifted its position in Zoetis by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. River Street Advisors LLC now owns 1,757 shares of the company’s stock valued at $347,000 after buying an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. 92.80% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on ZTS shares. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Zoetis from $260.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. HSBC reduced their price target on shares of Zoetis from $230.00 to $225.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on shares of Zoetis from $223.00 to $196.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 6th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on shares of Zoetis from $195.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 30th. Finally, Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $195.00 target price (down from $220.00) on shares of Zoetis in a research report on Tuesday, April 16th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Zoetis has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $211.75.

Zoetis Stock Up 3.3 %

ZTS stock opened at $176.51 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 3.33 and a quick ratio of 1.94. Zoetis Inc. has a 1-year low of $144.80 and a 1-year high of $201.92. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $167.68 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $178.94. The firm has a market cap of $80.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.01, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.88.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The company reported $1.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.04. Zoetis had a net margin of 27.38% and a return on equity of 50.34%. The firm had revenue of $2.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.14 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.31 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Zoetis Inc. will post 5.76 EPS for the current year.

Zoetis Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 4th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 18th will be given a dividend of $0.432 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 18th. This represents a $1.73 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.98%. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio is currently 33.33%.

Insider Transactions at Zoetis

In other news, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 923 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.17, for a total transaction of $139,529.91. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 14,800 shares in the company, valued at $2,237,316. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Zoetis 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.