Zoetis Inc. $ZTS Shares Sold by USS Investment Management Ltd

Key Points

• USS Investment Management Ltd reduced its Zoetis stake by 16.2% in the first quarter, selling 16,911 shares and leaving it with 87,660 shares valued at about $10.36 million.
• Zoetis reported Q1 earnings of $1.53 per share, missing analyst estimates of $1.60, while revenue came in at $2.26 billion versus expectations of $2.30 billion. The company also raised its FY 2026 guidance to 6.85-7.00 EPS.
• Zoetis declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, payable September 1, for an annualized yield of 2.9%. Meanwhile, analysts remain cautious overall, with several target cuts and a consensus rating of Hold.

USS Investment Management Ltd lessened its stake in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS - Free Report) by 16.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 87,660 shares of the company's stock after selling 16,911 shares during the quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd's holdings in Zoetis were worth $10,357,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of ZTS. RFG Advisory LLC grew its stake in shares of Zoetis by 4.9% during the 4th quarter. RFG Advisory LLC now owns 1,708 shares of the company's stock worth $215,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. YANKCOM Partnership increased its holdings in shares of Zoetis by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. YANKCOM Partnership now owns 2,402 shares of the company's stock valued at $302,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Beese Fulmer Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Zoetis by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Beese Fulmer Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,672 shares of the company's stock valued at $537,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period. Quest 10 Wealth Builders Inc. boosted its holdings in Zoetis by 4.7% during the fourth quarter. Quest 10 Wealth Builders Inc. now owns 1,904 shares of the company's stock worth $240,000 after buying an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. boosted its holdings in Zoetis by 4.4% during the third quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. now owns 2,043 shares of the company's stock worth $299,000 after buying an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.80% of the company's stock.

Zoetis Price Performance

Zoetis stock opened at $72.48 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $30.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.75. The company's fifty day moving average price is $85.77 and its 200 day moving average price is $109.95. 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 1 year low of $71.47 and a 1 year high of $161.77.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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). The company had revenue of $2.26 billion for 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 business's revenue was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.48 earnings per share. Zoetis has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.850-7.000 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Zoetis Inc. will post 6.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Zoetis Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Zoetis

In other news, Director Frank A. Damelio acquired 6,650 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $75.39 per share, for a total transaction of $501,343.50. Following the acquisition, the director owned 21,458 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,617,718.62. This represents a 44.91% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Paul Bisaro acquired 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $75.88 per share, with a total value 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 SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have purchased 11,650 shares of company stock valued at $886,384. 0.22% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Argus reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Zoetis in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Zoetis from $130.00 to $99.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Leerink Partners restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Zoetis in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. TD Cowen cut their price target on Zoetis from $150.00 to $104.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on Zoetis from $95.00 to $85.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Friday, June 26th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Zoetis currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $126.92.

Key Headlines Impacting Zoetis

Here are the key news stories impacting Zoetis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: One recent note suggested Zoetis’ index shift could reinforce its competitive moat in companion-animal health, which supports the long-term investment case. Zoetis (ZTS) Index Shift: A Harbinger for Its Competitive Moat in Companion-Animal Health?
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays cut its price target on Zoetis to $85 from $136 and kept an equal-weight rating, signaling a more cautious valuation view but not a bearish downgrade. Barclays price target cut on Zoetis
• Neutral Sentiment: TD Cowen lowered its target to $104 from $150 while maintaining a buy rating, reflecting softer near-term expectations while still seeing upside from current levels. TD Cowen price target cut on Zoetis
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple firms reminded investors about the July 27 deadline to join the Zoetis securities class action, keeping legal uncertainty in focus for shareholders. Zoetis Inc. (ZTS) Investors: July 27, 2026, Filing Deadline in Securities Fraud Class Action
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary also highlighted that stabilization in Zoetis products may still be several quarters away, which adds to the view that fundamentals could remain challenged in the near term. This analyst thinks stabilization for Zoetis’ products could be several quarters away
• Negative Sentiment: The series of class-action notices may raise investor concern about alleged misstatements tied to product adoption, adding a legal overhang to the shares. ZOETIS DEADLINE: ROSEN, RECOGNIZED INVESTOR COUNSEL

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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