Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Has $113.93 Million Stake in Zoetis Inc. $ZTS

Key Points

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group cut its Zoetis stake by 12.1% in the first quarter, but still held 963,773 shares worth about $113.9 million. Institutional ownership remains very high, with hedge funds and other investors controlling 92.8% of the stock.
• Zoetis reported Q1 earnings of $1.53 per share, missing Wall Street estimates of $1.60, while revenue came in at $2.26 billion versus expectations of $2.30 billion. The company also reaffirmed guidance, with FY2026 EPS projected at 6.85 to 7.00.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, payable September 1, implying an annualized payout of $2.12 and a yield of 2.8%. Meanwhile, analysts currently rate the stock a consensus Hold, and a class action lawsuit has been filed alleging misleading statements tied to product adoption.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS - Free Report) by 12.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 963,773 shares of the company's stock after selling 132,499 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned about 0.23% of Zoetis worth $113,928,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates bought a new stake in Zoetis during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc bought a new position in Zoetis during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Zoetis during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Root Financial Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Zoetis by 66.5% during the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 258 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Finally, KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in shares of Zoetis in the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. 92.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Zoetis Stock Performance

NYSE ZTS traded up $0.41 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $75.49. 5,157,373 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,410,874. The stock has a market capitalization of $31.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a quick ratio of 1.91, a current ratio of 3.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.80. Zoetis Inc. has a 1 year low of $71.47 and a 1 year high of $160.48. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $79.96 and its 200-day simple moving average is $107.76.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $1.53 earnings per share 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 company 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 firm earned $1.48 earnings per share. The firm'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. On average, equities research analysts expect that Zoetis Inc. will post 6.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Zoetis Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, July 20th will be paid 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 dividend payout ratio is presently 35.16%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of Zoetis from $95.00 to $85.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, June 26th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Zoetis from $130.00 to $99.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Argus reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Zoetis in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Zoetis from $190.00 to $130.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Barclays reduced 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. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Zoetis currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $123.46.

Insider Buying and Selling at Zoetis

In other news, Director Frank A. Damelio bought 6,650 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $75.39 per share, for a total transaction of $501,343.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 21,458 shares in the company, valued at $1,617,718.62. This represents a 44.91% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Paul Bisaro purchased 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $75.88 per share, for a total transaction of $151,760.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 27,862 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,114,168.56. The trade was a 7.73% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders bought 11,650 shares of company stock valued at $886,384. Company insiders own 0.22% of the company's stock.

Key Zoetis News

Here are the key news stories impacting Zoetis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: No clearly positive company-specific catalysts were reported in the latest batch of articles.
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple law firms, including Rosen, Glancy Prongay, Bragar Eagel & Squire, The Gross Law Firm, Kessler Topaz, Schall, Howard G. Smith, and Bernstein Liebhard, are urging investors who bought ZTS shares during the class period to contact them before the July 27 lead plaintiff deadline.
• Negative Sentiment: A class action lawsuit has been filed against Zoetis and certain officers, with allegations of material misstatements and/or omissions tied to product adoption, which may increase legal costs and pressure the stock. Article Title

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.

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