Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) Shares Sold by Ritholtz Wealth Management

Ritholtz Wealth Management decreased its position in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 2.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 21,585 shares of the company’s stock after selling 652 shares during the period. Ritholtz Wealth Management’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $4,260,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Zoetis during the 4th quarter valued at about $745,861,000. Morgan Stanley raised its position in shares of Zoetis by 34.6% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 10,872,704 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,593,395,000 after buying an additional 2,796,694 shares during the period. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Zoetis by 124,281.9% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,332,160 shares of the company’s stock valued at $341,778,000 after buying an additional 2,330,285 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its position in Zoetis by 171.7% in the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 3,326,448 shares of the company’s stock valued at $627,335,000 after purchasing an additional 2,102,306 shares during the period. Finally, Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. purchased a new stake in Zoetis in the third quarter valued at approximately $176,219,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.80% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Zoetis

In other Zoetis news, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 363 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 12th. The shares were 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 owns 20,417 shares in the company, valued at $4,037,257.58. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders sold 2,209 shares of company stock worth $408,453 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Zoetis Stock Performance

Shares of ZTS stock opened at $169.12 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 3.36, a quick ratio of 2.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $185.92 and a 200 day moving average price of $182.24. The company has a market cap of $77.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.36, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.87. Zoetis Inc. has a 12 month low of $151.03 and a 12 month high of $201.92.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last released 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 company had revenue of $2.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.19 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.15 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Zoetis Inc. will post 5.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Zoetis Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 19th will be paid a $0.432 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 18th. This represents a $1.73 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.02%. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio is presently 34.12%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ZTS has been the subject of several research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target 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. Barclays boosted their price target 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. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Zoetis from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 20th. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of Zoetis in a research note on Thursday, December 7th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $237.00 price target for the company. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of Zoetis from $195.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 12th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $224.33.

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.