Optas LLC Has $228,000 Stake in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)

Optas LLC increased its holdings in shares of Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 36.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,398 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 370 shares during the quarter. Optas LLC’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $228,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Zoetis during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. First Personal Financial Services acquired a new stake in Zoetis during the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in shares of Zoetis during the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Dunhill Financial LLC grew its position in shares of Zoetis by 80.6% in the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 168 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its stake in shares of Zoetis by 1,387.5% during the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 238 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.80% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on ZTS shares. UBS Group started coverage on Zoetis in a report on Monday, December 9th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $196.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Zoetis from $248.00 to $243.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Leerink Partnrs upgraded shares of Zoetis to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. Leerink Partners assumed coverage on shares of Zoetis in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $215.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped 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 issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $215.00.

Zoetis Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE ZTS opened at $172.24 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $77.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.38, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a current ratio of 3.69, a quick ratio of 2.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. Zoetis Inc. has a 12 month low of $144.80 and a 12 month high of $200.53. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $169.48 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $179.39.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $2.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.29 billion. Zoetis had a net margin of 26.55% and a return on equity of 51.98%. The firm’s revenue was up 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.36 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Zoetis Inc. will post 5.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Zoetis Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared 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 1.16%. This is a boost from Zoetis’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 21st. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.59%.

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.