Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) have earned an average rating of “Hold” from the thirteen research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $152.9091.

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Zoetis to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. UBS Group dropped their price objective 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. KeyCorp started coverage on shares of Zoetis in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. They set a “sector weight” rating on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded Zoetis from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Bank of America downgraded Zoetis from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $135.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Monday, December 15th.

Zoetis Stock Down 0.3%

Zoetis stock opened at $124.04 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $123.58 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $138.43. The company has a quick ratio of 2.28, a current ratio of 3.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. The stock has a market cap of $54.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 0.97. Zoetis has a twelve month low of $115.25 and a twelve month high of $177.40.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.62 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $2.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.42 billion. Zoetis had a return on equity of 57.19% and a net margin of 28.21%.The business’s revenue was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.58 earnings per share. Zoetis has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.300-6.400 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Zoetis will post 6.07 EPS for the current year.

Zoetis Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. This is a boost from Zoetis’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 20th. Zoetis’s payout ratio is presently 35.69%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Zoetis

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ZTS. Savvy Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Zoetis by 54.0% in the 2nd quarter. Savvy Advisors Inc. now owns 3,177 shares of the company’s stock valued at $495,000 after buying an additional 1,114 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its position in shares of Zoetis by 54.3% during the second quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 432 shares of the company’s stock valued at $67,000 after acquiring an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC lifted its holdings in Zoetis by 67.0% during the second quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 4,886 shares of the company’s stock worth $750,000 after acquiring an additional 1,961 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in Zoetis by 4.9% in the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 77,741 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,124,000 after purchasing an additional 3,616 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Consolidated Investment Group LLC grew its stake in Zoetis by 59.6% in the 2nd quarter. Consolidated Investment Group LLC now owns 26,235 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,091,000 after purchasing an additional 9,800 shares during the period. 92.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Zoetis Company Profile

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.