Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) Shares Sold by Man Group plc

Man Group plc lessened its holdings in shares of Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS - Free Report) by 7.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 428,771 shares of the company's stock after selling 35,589 shares during the period. Man Group plc owned about 0.10% of Zoetis worth $69,860,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of ZTS. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Zoetis in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $824,321,000. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Zoetis by 78.5% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 6,958,543 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,133,755,000 after purchasing an additional 3,059,255 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Zoetis in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $196,651,000. Polen Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Zoetis by 17.5% in the fourth quarter. Polen Capital Management LLC now owns 7,483,194 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,219,237,000 after purchasing an additional 1,116,541 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors purchased a new stake in shares of Zoetis in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $178,688,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.80% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Zoetis from $243.00 to $238.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 14th. Piper Sandler upped their target price on Zoetis from $205.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday. StockNews.com upgraded Zoetis from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 7th. Barclays upped their target price on Zoetis from $242.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on Zoetis from $189.00 to $170.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $212.75.

Zoetis Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of ZTS traded up $2.68 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $163.03. 2,391,686 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,513,944. Zoetis Inc. has a 1 year low of $139.70 and a 1 year high of $200.33. The firm's fifty day moving average is $156.46 and its 200-day moving average is $165.43. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $72.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.94.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.08. Zoetis had a return on equity of 53.82% and a net margin of 26.86%. The firm had revenue of $2.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.38 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Zoetis Inc. will post 6.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Willie M. Reed sold 1,210 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $166.14, for a total value of $201,029.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 11,245 shares in the company, valued at $1,868,244.30. This trade represents a 9.71% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 326 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $55,420.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 15,781 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,682,770. This trade represents a 2.02% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Zoetis

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.