Levin Capital Strategies L.P. Acquires New Holdings in Zoetis Inc. $ZTS

Key Points

• Levin Capital Strategies initiated a new position in Zoetis during the first quarter, buying 20,013 shares worth about $2.37 million.
• Institutional ownership remains very high, with 92.8% of Zoetis shares held by institutions; several major investors also boosted their stakes recently.
• Zoetis reported mixed fundamentals: its latest quarterly EPS and revenue both missed estimates, though the company still declared a $0.53 quarterly dividend yielding about 2.9% annualized.

Levin Capital Strategies L.P. bought a new position in shares of Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 20,013 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,366,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Zoetis by 12.9% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 47,780,974 shares of the company's stock worth $6,011,802,000 after acquiring an additional 5,474,210 shares during the last quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP raised its position in Zoetis by 12,431.2% in the fourth quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 24,069,492 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,028,423,000 after purchasing an additional 23,877,416 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in Zoetis by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 19,796,891 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,490,845,000 after purchasing an additional 149,382 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Zoetis by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 11,327,679 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,420,294,000 after purchasing an additional 189,235 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Zoetis during the fourth quarter valued at about $734,425,000. 92.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on ZTS shares. TD Cowen cut their target price on shares of Zoetis from $150.00 to $104.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Zoetis from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Zoetis from $190.00 to $130.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 8th. HSBC cut their price target on shares of Zoetis from $140.00 to $95.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Zoetis from $115.00 to $99.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Eight research 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, Zoetis has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $119.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at Zoetis

In other Zoetis news, Director Michael B. Mccallister acquired 3,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $77.76 per share, with a total value of $233,280.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 24,524 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,906,986.24. This trade represents a 13.94% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Frank A. Damelio bought 6,650 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $75.39 per share, for a total transaction of $501,343.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 21,458 shares in the company, valued at $1,617,718.62. This represents a 44.91% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have bought 11,650 shares of company stock valued at $886,384. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Zoetis News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Zoetis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zoetis launched Portela® (relfovetmab), a long-acting pain therapy for cats, in Canada and the European Union, which could support future animal-health revenue and expand its product footprint. Article: Zoetis Launches Portela® (relfovetmab) in Canada and the European Union
• Neutral Sentiment: Several law firms issued reminders that the July 27 deadline is approaching for investors to join a securities class action tied to Zoetis, keeping legal overhang in focus. Article: ZOETIS INC. INVESTORS WITH LOSSES HAVE UNTIL JULY 27, 2026 TO JOIN SECURITIES CLASS ACTION
• Neutral Sentiment: Zoetis was also the subject of unusually large options trading, suggesting elevated investor attention and possible speculation around near-term moves. Article: Zoetis Target of Unusually Large Options Trading
• Negative Sentiment: The stock has recently been trading lower, with market commentary highlighting a decline while the broader market gained, reinforcing the bearish tone around ZTS. Article: Zoetis (ZTS) Stock Dips While Market Gains: Key Facts

Zoetis Stock Performance

NYSE:ZTS opened at $74.17 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.80, a quick ratio of 1.91 and a current ratio of 3.15. Zoetis Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $71.47 and a fifty-two week high of $160.48. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $77.28 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $104.82. The company has a market capitalization of $31.09 billion, a PE ratio of 12.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.75.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $1.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.60 by ($0.07). Zoetis had a return on equity of 66.85% and a net margin of 27.80%.The firm had revenue of $2.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.30 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.48 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. Zoetis has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.850-7.000 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Zoetis Inc. will post 6.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Zoetis Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 20th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. Zoetis's dividend payout ratio is 35.16%.

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.

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