Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) Shares Sold by Moody National Bank Trust Division

Moody National Bank Trust Division lessened its stake in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 5.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 9,186 shares of the company’s stock after selling 498 shares during the quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $1,497,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Zoetis during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. First Personal Financial Services acquired a new stake in shares of Zoetis during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in Zoetis during the third quarter worth $33,000. Dunhill Financial LLC boosted its holdings in Zoetis by 80.6% in the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 168 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the period. Finally, Quarry LP increased its stake in Zoetis by 273.2% during the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 209 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.80% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ZTS has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Zoetis from $225.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 11th. Leerink Partnrs upgraded Zoetis to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. UBS Group started coverage on Zoetis in a report on Monday, December 9th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $196.00 price target on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on Zoetis from $210.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Leerink Partners initiated coverage on Zoetis in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $215.00 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $211.89.

Zoetis Stock Performance

ZTS stock opened at $166.31 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $171.53 and a 200 day simple moving average of $180.22. The company has a market capitalization of $75.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.26, a PEG ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a quick ratio of 2.27, a current ratio of 3.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. Zoetis Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $144.80 and a fifty-two week high of $200.53.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share 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 company had revenue of $2.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.29 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.36 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Zoetis Inc. 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. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, January 21st will be paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.20%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 21st. This is an increase from Zoetis’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. Zoetis’s payout ratio is currently 37.59%.

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.