Zoetis Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:ZTS)

Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) was the target of some unusual options trading on Tuesday. Stock traders purchased 6,382 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 120% compared to the typical daily volume of 2,897 call options.

Zoetis Price Performance

Zoetis stock opened at $127.85 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $56.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.01, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a current ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05. Zoetis has a 12 month low of $115.25 and a 12 month high of $181.85. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $136.89 and its 200-day moving average is $149.63.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.62 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $2.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.42 billion. Zoetis had a return on equity of 56.90% and a net margin of 27.83%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.58 EPS. Zoetis has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.300-6.400 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Zoetis will post 6.07 EPS for the current year.

Zoetis Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, October 31st will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 31st. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.67%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ZTS has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Argus restated a “buy” rating and issued a $190.00 price target on shares of Zoetis in a research note on Tuesday, September 9th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Zoetis from $211.00 to $175.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Zoetis from $230.00 to $200.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Zoetis from $158.00 to $141.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their price target on shares of Zoetis from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, August 11th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $178.89.

Institutional Trading of Zoetis

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ZTS. Nova Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Zoetis in the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. 1248 Management LLC acquired a new position in Zoetis in the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Zoetis by 496.6% during the 3rd quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 173 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 144 shares during the period. Saudi Central Bank bought a new stake in shares of Zoetis during the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, REAP Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Zoetis by 201.5% during the 2nd quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 196 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.80% of the company’s stock.

About Zoetis

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.