Blackhill Capital Inc. Cuts Holdings in Zoetis Inc. $ZTS

Key Points

• Blackhill Capital reduced its Zoetis stake by 27% in the fourth quarter, selling 35,400 shares and leaving it with 95,899 shares valued at about $12.1 million.
• Zoetis reported mixed Q1 results, missing earnings and revenue estimates even as revenue rose 2.9% year over year; analysts currently have a consensus Hold rating and a $133.92 average price target.
• The stock is facing a legal overhang from multiple securities-fraud class-action notices tied to alleged misrepresentations about weakening veterinary adoption and prescription trends, which may continue to pressure sentiment.

Blackhill Capital Inc. decreased its stake in shares of Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS - Free Report) by 27.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 95,899 shares of the company's stock after selling 35,400 shares during the quarter. Zoetis makes up 0.6% of Blackhill Capital Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Blackhill Capital Inc.'s holdings in Zoetis were worth $12,066,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. RFG Advisory LLC increased its holdings in Zoetis by 4.9% during the 4th quarter. RFG Advisory LLC now owns 1,708 shares of the company's stock worth $215,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. YANKCOM Partnership increased its holdings in Zoetis by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. YANKCOM Partnership now owns 2,402 shares of the company's stock worth $302,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the period. Beese Fulmer Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Zoetis by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. Beese Fulmer Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,672 shares of the company's stock worth $537,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period. Quest 10 Wealth Builders Inc. increased its holdings in Zoetis by 4.7% during the 4th quarter. Quest 10 Wealth Builders Inc. now owns 1,904 shares of the company's stock worth $240,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the period. Finally, Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. increased its holdings in Zoetis by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. now owns 2,043 shares of the company's stock worth $299,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.80% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ZTS has been the topic of several recent research reports. Citigroup cut their price target on Zoetis from $145.00 to $112.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 18th. Argus reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Zoetis in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Zoetis from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Zoetis in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $160.00 price objective on shares of Zoetis in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $133.92.

Zoetis Trading Down 2.3%

ZTS opened at $79.51 on Friday. Zoetis Inc. has a one year low of $72.38 and a one year high of $167.38. The company has a market cap of $33.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.19, a PEG ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.80, a quick ratio of 1.91 and a current ratio of 3.15. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $96.94 and its 200-day simple moving average is $114.22.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.60 by ($0.07). Zoetis had a net margin of 27.80% and a return on equity of 66.85%. The business had revenue of $2.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.30 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.48 EPS. The company's revenue was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Zoetis has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.850-7.000 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Zoetis Inc. will post 6.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Zoetis Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, July 20th will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 20th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. Zoetis's dividend payout ratio is 35.16%.

Insider Activity at Zoetis

In other news, Director Paul Bisaro bought 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $75.88 per share, with a total value of $151,760.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 27,862 shares in the company, valued at $2,114,168.56. This trade represents a 7.73% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Frank A. Damelio bought 6,650 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $75.39 per share, with a total value of $501,343.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 21,458 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,617,718.62. This trade represents a 44.91% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders bought a total of 11,650 shares of company stock valued at $886,384 in the last three months. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Zoetis

Here are the key news stories impacting Zoetis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: The recent analyst coverage split suggests some Wall Street firms still see value in Zoetis despite the recent selloff, which could help stabilize sentiment. Zoetis (ZTS) Stock Draws Fresh Price Target Split After Difficult Q1 Update
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple law firms are urging investors who bought Zoetis shares between January 14, 2025 and May 6, 2026 to join or lead securities-fraud litigation ahead of the July 27 deadline; while procedural for now, the steady stream of notices keeps legal overhang in focus. Zoetis Inc. (ZTS) Shareholders Who Lost Money Have Opportunity to Lead Securities Fraud Lawsuit
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional class-action reminders from The Gross Law Firm, Bragar Eagel & Squire, and The Schall Law Firm add to the headline noise, but do not yet change Zoetis’s fundamentals on their own. ZTS Shareholder Alert: Zoetis Inc. Securities Class Action Lawsuit
• Neutral Sentiment: The lawsuits appear to center on alleged misrepresentations about weakening veterinarian adoption and prescription trends, which help explain why investors remain cautious after the company’s disappointing Q1 results. Lost Money on Zoetis Inc. (ZTS)? Join Class Action Suit Seeking Recovery
• Negative Sentiment: The legal overhang and repeated fraud allegations are a negative for sentiment and may keep pressure on Zoetis Inc. NYSE: ZTS until there is more clarity on the lawsuits and on whether the underlying business trends are improving. ROSEN, RECOGNIZED INVESTOR COUNSEL, Encourages Zoetis Inc. Investors to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action - ZTS

Zoetis 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ZTS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.