Sterneck Capital Management LLC Acquires 240 Shares of Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)

Sterneck Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 12.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,224 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the period. Sterneck Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $362,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Zoetis during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. First Personal Financial Services bought a new stake in Zoetis during the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in Zoetis during the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Dunhill Financial LLC raised its position in shares of Zoetis by 80.6% in the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 168 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the period. Finally, Quarry LP lifted its stake in shares of Zoetis by 273.2% in the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 209 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 153 shares during the last quarter. 92.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Zoetis Price Performance

NYSE:ZTS opened at $163.68 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 2.27 and a current ratio of 3.69. The company has a 50-day moving average of $172.71 and a 200-day moving average of $180.42. Zoetis Inc. has a 52 week low of $144.80 and a 52 week high of $200.53. The company has a market capitalization of $73.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.77, a PEG ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.89.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.46 by $0.12. Zoetis had a net margin of 26.55% and a return on equity of 51.98%. The firm had revenue of $2.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.29 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.36 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Zoetis Inc. will post 5.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Zoetis Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is a positive change from Zoetis’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.22%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 21st. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio is currently 37.59%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on ZTS. Leerink Partners initiated coverage on shares of Zoetis in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $215.00 target price on the stock. Leerink Partnrs raised Zoetis to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on Zoetis from $210.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Zoetis from $225.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. Finally, UBS Group assumed coverage on Zoetis in a research report on Monday, December 9th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $196.00 price target on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Zoetis has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $211.89.

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.