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

Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus recommendation of "Buy" from the eleven brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eight have given a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $211.89.

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Leerink Partners initiated coverage on Zoetis in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. They set an "outperform" rating and a $215.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Zoetis in a research note on Monday, December 9th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $196.00 price target for the company. Leerink Partnrs upgraded shares of Zoetis to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Zoetis from $225.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on Zoetis from $210.00 to $180.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 7th.

Zoetis Stock Down 1.2 %

Shares of ZTS stock traded down $2.01 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $164.31. 3,608,112 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,586,751. The company has a market capitalization of $74.13 billion, a PE ratio of 30.89, a PEG ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.89. Zoetis has a 52 week low of $144.80 and a 52 week high of $200.53. The business has a 50 day moving average of $171.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $180.16. The company has a current ratio of 3.69, a quick ratio of 2.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $2.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.29 billion. Zoetis had a net margin of 26.55% and a return on equity of 51.98%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.36 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Zoetis will post 5.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Zoetis Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 21st will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is a boost from Zoetis's previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 21st. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.22%. Zoetis's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.59%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Zoetis

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Brady Family Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Zoetis by 18.6% during the 4th quarter. Brady Family Wealth LLC now owns 1,416 shares of the company's stock worth $231,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares in the last quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Zoetis by 66.9% during the fourth quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,371 shares of the company's stock worth $875,000 after buying an additional 2,153 shares in the last quarter. Burney Co. increased its stake in Zoetis by 15.2% during the 4th quarter. Burney Co. now owns 4,749 shares of the company's stock worth $774,000 after acquiring an additional 627 shares during the period. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. raised its holdings in Zoetis by 25.5% in the 4th quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 6,565 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,070,000 after acquiring an additional 1,334 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Park Avenue Securities LLC lifted its position in shares of Zoetis by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 24,148 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,934,000 after acquiring an additional 997 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.80% of the company's stock.

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.