Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) Trading 1.2% Higher

Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS - Get Free Report)'s share price shot up 1.2% on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $170.20 and last traded at $169.91. 423,317 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 86% from the average session volume of 3,129,474 shares. The stock had previously closed at $167.91.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on ZTS. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Zoetis from $260.00 to $230.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on Zoetis from $195.00 to $180.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 30th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Zoetis from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on Zoetis from $223.00 to $196.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 6th. Finally, Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $195.00 target price (down previously from $220.00) on shares of Zoetis in a research report on Tuesday, April 16th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Zoetis presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $211.75.

Zoetis Price Performance

The company's 50 day simple moving average is $165.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $179.03. The company has a current ratio of 3.33, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30. The company has a market capitalization of $77.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.54, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.86.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The company reported $1.38 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $2.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.14 billion. Zoetis had a return on equity of 50.34% and a net margin of 27.38%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.31 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Zoetis Inc. will post 5.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Zoetis

In other news, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 923 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.17, for a total value of $139,529.91. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 14,800 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,237,316. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Zoetis

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Zoetis by 222.5% during the fourth quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 129 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the period. Webster Bank N. A. lifted its holdings in Zoetis by 89.1% in the first quarter. Webster Bank N. A. now owns 174 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky boosted its stake in Zoetis by 371.4% in the fourth quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 165 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the period. Private Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Zoetis during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Ramirez Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Zoetis in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. 92.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Zoetis Company 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.