Goldstein Advisors LLC Cuts Stock Position in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)

Goldstein Advisors LLC cut its holdings in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 13.7% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 2,370 shares of the company’s stock after selling 377 shares during the quarter. Goldstein Advisors LLC’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $386,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Zoetis during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. First Personal Financial Services purchased a new stake in shares of Zoetis during the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Zoetis during the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Dunhill Financial LLC grew its holdings in Zoetis by 80.6% in the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 168 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP grew its holdings in Zoetis by 273.2% in the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 209 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. 92.80% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Zoetis Price Performance

ZTS opened at $166.64 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $170.39 and its 200 day moving average price is $179.80. Zoetis Inc. has a 12-month low of $144.80 and a 12-month high of $200.53. The company has a current ratio of 3.69, a quick ratio of 2.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The firm has a market cap of $75.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.32, a PEG ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.89.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $0.12. Zoetis had a return on equity of 51.98% and a net margin of 26.55%. The firm had revenue of $2.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.29 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.36 EPS. Zoetis’s revenue was up 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Zoetis Inc. will post 5.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Zoetis Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is a positive change from Zoetis’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 21st. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.20%. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.59%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on ZTS shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Zoetis from $225.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. Leerink Partnrs upgraded Zoetis to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 2nd. Leerink Partners started coverage on Zoetis in a report on Monday, December 2nd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $215.00 target price for the company. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on Zoetis from $210.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on Zoetis in a research note on Monday, December 9th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $196.00 price target on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $211.89.

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.