Windward Capital Management Co. CA Lowers Position in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)

Windward Capital Management Co. CA lessened its stake in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 1.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 143,747 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,133 shares during the quarter. Zoetis makes up about 1.8% of Windward Capital Management Co. CA’s holdings, making the stock its 18th largest position. Windward Capital Management Co. CA’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $23,421,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Zoetis during the 3rd quarter valued at $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 purchased a new position in Zoetis during the third quarter worth about $33,000. Dunhill Financial LLC boosted its holdings 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 last quarter. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its position in Zoetis by 1,387.5% in the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 238 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.80% of the company’s stock.

Zoetis Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ZTS opened at $172.24 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $77.71 billion, a PE ratio of 32.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a quick ratio of 2.27, a current ratio of 3.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $169.48 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $179.39. Zoetis Inc. has a twelve month low of $144.80 and a twelve month high of $200.53.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 the consensus estimate of $2.29 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.36 EPS. Zoetis’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Zoetis Inc. will post 5.9 EPS for the current year.

Zoetis Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, January 21st will be given a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 21st. This is a boost from Zoetis’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.16%. Zoetis’s payout ratio is 37.59%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ZTS has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Zoetis in a research report on Monday, December 9th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $196.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Zoetis from $248.00 to $243.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Zoetis from $225.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Leerink Partnrs upgraded Zoetis to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of Zoetis from $210.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $215.00.

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.