Mediolanum International Funds Ltd Buys 14,539 Shares of Zoetis Inc. $ZTS

Key Points

• Mediolanum International Funds Ltd increased its Zoetis stake by 8.2% in the first quarter, buying 14,539 shares and bringing its total holdings to 191,495 shares worth about $22.3 million.
• Institutional ownership in Zoetis remains very high at 92.8%, and several large investors recently boosted positions, including Vanguard and J. Stern & Co. LLP.
• Zoetis recently reported quarterly earnings of $1.53 per share, missing estimates, while analysts have generally turned more cautious with a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $120.83.

Mediolanum International Funds Ltd increased its position in shares of Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS - Free Report) by 8.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 191,495 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 14,539 shares during the quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd's holdings in Zoetis were worth $22,277,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ZTS. J. Stern & Co. LLP boosted its stake in Zoetis by 12,431.2% during the fourth quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 24,069,492 shares of the company's stock worth $3,028,423,000 after buying an additional 23,877,416 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Zoetis during the fourth quarter worth about $734,425,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Zoetis by 12.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 47,780,974 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,011,802,000 after purchasing an additional 5,474,210 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its holdings in Zoetis by 79.2% during the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 4,932,787 shares of the company's stock valued at $622,222,000 after purchasing an additional 2,179,578 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp grew its stake in shares of Zoetis by 269.0% in the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 2,387,059 shares of the company's stock valued at $300,340,000 after purchasing an additional 1,740,113 shares during the period. 92.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Zoetis news, Director Paul Bisaro bought 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $75.88 per share, for a total transaction of $151,760.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 27,862 shares in the company, valued at $2,114,168.56. This represents a 7.73% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Michael B. Mccallister purchased 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $77.76 per share, with a total value of $233,280.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 24,524 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,906,986.24. The trade was a 13.94% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have acquired 11,650 shares of company stock valued at $886,384. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ZTS has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Barclays dropped their target price on Zoetis from $136.00 to $85.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Zoetis from $190.00 to $130.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 8th. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on Zoetis from $150.00 to $104.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on Zoetis from $95.00 to $85.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $115.00 price objective on shares of Zoetis in a report on Friday, May 15th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $120.83.

Zoetis Stock Performance

NYSE ZTS opened at $76.44 on Friday. Zoetis Inc. has a 1-year low of $71.47 and a 1-year high of $160.48. The company has a 50 day moving average of $77.33 and a 200-day moving average of $106.03. The company has a current ratio of 3.15, a quick ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.80. The firm has a market cap of $32.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.68, a PEG ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 0.75.

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

Zoetis Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 20th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. Zoetis's payout ratio is presently 35.16%.

Trending Headlines about Zoetis

Here are the key news stories impacting Zoetis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zoetis was named as title sponsor of PawsitiveIntelligence.ai, adding a small brand-visibility and industry-partnership angle. Pawsitive Holdings Announces Zoetis as Title Sponsor of PawsitiveIntelligence.ai
• Positive Sentiment: Some commentary argued Zoetis offers an attractive risk-reward setup, suggesting a more constructive long-term view despite recent volatility. Zoetis: An Attractive Risk-Reward Opportunity
• Neutral Sentiment: Zoetis’ upcoming second-quarter earnings report is getting attention, with analysts expecting modest growth and investors watching for updated guidance and commentary on diagnostics demand. Zoetis Earnings Preview: What to Expect
• Neutral Sentiment: Zoetis announced it will acquire VitalRADS, a veterinary teleradiology platform, which could support its diagnostics strategy and AI-enabled offerings. Zoetis Gains as VitalRADS Deal Boosts Diagnostics Narrative
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms issued reminders and investor alerts tied to a securities class action against Zoetis, reinforcing concerns about litigation risk and possible reputational damage. Deadline Alert for CALX, AVAV, ZTS, LCID
• Negative Sentiment: Additional class-action notices specifically target Zoetis shareholders, underscoring that the lawsuit remains an active overhang for the stock. ZTS Shareholder Alert
• Negative Sentiment: The legal backdrop follows earlier reports alleging investor harm and reminding shareholders of the same July 27 deadline, keeping sentiment cautious. Zoetis Inc. (ZTS) Shareholders Who Lost Money Have Opportunity to Lead Securities Fraud Lawsuit

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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