Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) Upgraded at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS - Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Friday morning.

ZTS has been the topic of a number of other reports. Leerink Partnrs upgraded Zoetis to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, December 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on Zoetis from $210.00 to $180.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on Zoetis from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Zoetis from $243.00 to $238.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Leerink Partners began coverage on Zoetis in a report on Monday, December 2nd. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $215.00 target price on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Zoetis has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $215.90.

Zoetis Trading Up 1.8 %

Shares of Zoetis stock traded up $3.09 on Friday, reaching $170.34. 3,296,788 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,274,650. The company has a market capitalization of $76.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.94. Zoetis has a 52 week low of $144.80 and a 52 week high of $200.33. The firm's 50-day moving average is $166.72 and its two-hundred day moving average is $176.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.75.

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Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The company reported $1.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.37 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $2.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.30 billion. Zoetis had a return on equity of 53.82% and a net margin of 26.86%. Sell-side analysts predict that Zoetis will post 6.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Zoetis Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 21st will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 21st. Zoetis's dividend payout ratio is presently 36.56%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 326 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.18, for a total transaction of $55,804.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,107 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,757,196.26. This trade represents a 1.98 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Zoetis

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in ZTS. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Zoetis in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. First Personal Financial Services purchased a new stake in Zoetis in the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in Zoetis in the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. Dunhill Financial LLC increased its holdings in Zoetis by 80.6% in the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 168 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Zoetis by 482.8% in the 4th quarter. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 169 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. 92.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.