Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA Buys 131,291 Shares of Zoetis Inc. $ZTS

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its stake in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 72.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 312,521 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 131,291 shares during the quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA owned approximately 0.07% of Zoetis worth $45,728,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Scott & Selber Inc. grew its position in shares of Zoetis by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. Scott & Selber Inc. now owns 11,652 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,817,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the period. North Star Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Zoetis by 4.9% during the second quarter. North Star Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,441 shares of the company’s stock worth $225,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Moment Partners LLC raised its stake in Zoetis by 3.2% in the second quarter. Moment Partners LLC now owns 2,354 shares of the company’s stock valued at $367,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the period. CVA Family Office LLC lifted its position in shares of Zoetis by 6.7% in the second quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 1,173 shares of the company’s stock valued at $183,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Co. boosted its stake in shares of Zoetis by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Co. now owns 1,692 shares of the company’s stock worth $264,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the period. 92.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ZTS has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. HSBC set a $140.00 price target on Zoetis in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Morgan Stanley set a $160.00 price objective on shares of Zoetis in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Zoetis from $158.00 to $141.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Bank of America lowered shares of Zoetis from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $135.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Zoetis to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Zoetis has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $160.18.

Zoetis Stock Performance

NYSE ZTS opened at $125.08 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $123.45 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $138.76. Zoetis Inc. has a 12-month low of $115.25 and a 12-month high of $177.40. The company has a market capitalization of $55.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.06, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a quick ratio of 2.28, a current ratio of 3.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.62 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $2.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.42 billion. Zoetis had a net margin of 28.21% and a return on equity of 57.19%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.58 earnings per share. Zoetis has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.300-6.400 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Zoetis Inc. will post 6.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Zoetis Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 20th. This is a positive change from Zoetis’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio is currently 35.69%.

About Zoetis

Zoetis Inc (NYSE: ZTS) is a global animal health company that develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of products and services for companion animals and livestock. The company’s offerings include pharmaceuticals, vaccines and biologics, parasiticides and anti-infectives, as well as diagnostic instruments, consumables and laboratory testing services. Zoetis serves the veterinary community, livestock producers and other animal-health customers with products designed to prevent, detect and treat disease and to support animal productivity and welfare.

Zoetis traces its roots to the animal health business of Pfizer and became an independent, publicly traded company following a 2013 separation and initial public offering.