Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC Grows Stake in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)

Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC boosted its position in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 2.2% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 29,570 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 643 shares during the period. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $5,836,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Zoetis by 222.5% during the fourth quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 129 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky increased its position in Zoetis by 371.4% during the fourth quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 165 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Ramirez Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Zoetis during the third quarter worth $35,000. First Financial Corp IN increased its position in Zoetis by 57.2% during the fourth quarter. First Financial Corp IN now owns 217 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in Zoetis by 42.1% during the third quarter. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC now owns 260 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. 92.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Zoetis Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE ZTS traded up $0.35 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $160.05. The stock had a trading volume of 1,316,452 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,117,496. The company has a market capitalization of $73.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.60, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.85. Zoetis Inc. has a 1-year low of $144.80 and a 1-year high of $201.92. The company has a quick ratio of 2.00, a current ratio of 3.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $171.21 and a 200 day moving average price of $179.23.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $1.24 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $2.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.19 billion. Zoetis had a net margin of 27.43% and a return on equity of 51.25%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.15 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Zoetis Inc. will post 5.79 earnings per share for the current year.

Zoetis Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 4th. Investors of record on Friday, April 19th will be given a dividend of $0.432 per share. This represents a $1.73 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.08%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 18th. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.12%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 923 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.17, for a total transaction of $139,529.91. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 14,800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,237,316. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 2,209 shares of company stock valued at $371,293. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on ZTS. Barclays dropped their price target on Zoetis from $260.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. StockNews.com downgraded Zoetis from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on Zoetis from $195.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Zoetis from $190.00 to $226.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 17th. Finally, Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $195.00 price target (down previously from $220.00) on shares of Zoetis in a report on Tuesday, April 16th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Zoetis currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $216.13.

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.