Lbp Am Sa Lowers Holdings in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)

LBP AM SA trimmed its position in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS - Free Report) by 7.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 104,787 shares of the company's stock after selling 8,014 shares during the quarter. LBP AM SA's holdings in Zoetis were worth $17,253,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its stake in shares of Zoetis by 5,533.3% in the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 169 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. Navigoe LLC acquired a new stake in Zoetis during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its position in shares of Zoetis by 79.3% in the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 199 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp bought a new position in shares of Zoetis in the 4th quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its stake in shares of Zoetis by 141.4% in the 1st quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 280 shares of the company's stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 164 shares during the period. 92.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ZTS has been the topic of several research reports. Stifel Nicolaus lowered shares of Zoetis from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $165.00 to $160.00 in a report on Wednesday, June 18th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Zoetis from $189.00 to $170.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of Zoetis from $205.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $212.13.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 652 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $110,840.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 15,129 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,571,930. This trade represents a 4.13% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company's stock.

Zoetis Stock Performance

Shares of Zoetis stock traded down $3.89 on Friday, reaching $154.91. 2,267,443 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,595,048. Zoetis Inc. has a 52 week low of $139.70 and a 52 week high of $200.33. The company has a 50 day moving average of $161.32 and a 200 day moving average of $161.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.97 billion, a PE ratio of 27.81, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.74 and a quick ratio of 1.04.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.08. Zoetis had a net margin of 27.12% and a return on equity of 55.48%. The firm had revenue of $2.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.38 EPS. The company's revenue was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Zoetis Inc. will post 6.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Zoetis Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 18th will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 18th. Zoetis's dividend payout ratio is currently 35.91%.

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.