Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) Shares Sold by Gryphon Financial Partners LLC

Gryphon Financial Partners LLC lessened its stake in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 23.3% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 2,103 shares of the company’s stock after selling 638 shares during the period. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $343,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC grew 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 valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Zoetis during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. First Personal Financial Services purchased a new stake in shares of Zoetis in the third quarter valued at about $33,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in Zoetis during the third quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Dunhill Financial LLC raised its stake in Zoetis by 80.6% during 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. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.80% of the company’s stock.

Zoetis Trading Up 1.9 %

NYSE ZTS opened at $170.47 on Tuesday. Zoetis Inc. has a one year low of $144.80 and a one year high of $200.33. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $166.42 and a 200-day simple moving average of $177.16. The firm has a market cap of $76.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.16, a PEG ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.75.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The company reported $1.40 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.37 by $0.03. Zoetis had a net margin of 26.86% and a return on equity of 53.82%. The company had revenue of $2.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.30 billion. Equities research analysts anticipate that Zoetis Inc. will post 6.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Zoetis Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 21st will be given a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.17%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 21st. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.56%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 326 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.18, for a total value of $55,804.68. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 16,107 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,757,196.26. This trade represents a 1.98 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on ZTS. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Zoetis from $242.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. StockNews.com cut Zoetis from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Zoetis from $243.00 to $238.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 14th. UBS Group started coverage on shares of Zoetis in a report on Monday, December 9th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $196.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Leerink Partnrs raised shares of Zoetis to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Zoetis has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $215.90.

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.