Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd Boosts Stake in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)

Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd raised its position in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS - Free Report) by 2.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 98,947 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,960 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd's holdings in Zoetis were worth $16,292,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its position in Zoetis by 5,533.3% in the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 169 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. Navigoe LLC acquired a new stake in Zoetis during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Zoetis during the 4th quarter worth approximately $44,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its holdings 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 buying an additional 164 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bfsg LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Zoetis by 614.6% in the 1st quarter. Bfsg LLC now owns 293 shares of the company's stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 252 shares in the last quarter. 92.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Zoetis Stock Performance

NYSE:ZTS traded up $0.11 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $159.19. The stock had a trading volume of 1,375,164 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,569,728. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12. The stock has a market cap of $70.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.91. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $161.05 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $162.20. Zoetis Inc. has a 12-month low of $139.70 and a 12-month high of $200.33.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $1.48 EPS 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 quarter last year, the firm earned $1.38 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Zoetis Inc. will post 6.07 EPS for the current year.

Zoetis Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.26%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 18th. Zoetis's dividend payout ratio is currently 35.91%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Zoetis from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on Zoetis from $205.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. Stifel Nicolaus downgraded Zoetis from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $165.00 to $160.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 18th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Zoetis from $189.00 to $170.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $212.13.

Insider Transactions at Zoetis

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

Zoetis Profile

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.