Zoetis Inc. $ZTS Stock Holdings Lessened by Erste Asset Management GmbH

Erste Asset Management GmbH trimmed its stake in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 93.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,581 shares of the company’s stock after selling 69,963 shares during the quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $577,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in ZTS. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Zoetis in the fourth quarter worth approximately $734,425,000. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Zoetis by 12.9% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 47,780,974 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,011,802,000 after purchasing an additional 5,474,210 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its position in shares of Zoetis by 79.2% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 4,932,787 shares of the company’s stock worth $622,222,000 after purchasing an additional 2,179,578 shares in the last quarter. Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. lifted its position in shares of Zoetis by 256.7% in the fourth quarter. Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. now owns 2,168,078 shares of the company’s stock worth $266,888,000 after purchasing an additional 1,560,314 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in shares of Zoetis by 83.4% in the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,697,827 shares of the company’s stock worth $394,746,000 after purchasing an additional 1,227,085 shares in the last quarter. 92.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on ZTS shares. Argus restated a “hold” rating on shares of Zoetis in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on Zoetis from $105.00 to $95.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Citigroup dropped their price objective on Zoetis from $145.00 to $112.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 18th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Zoetis from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Leerink Partners restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Zoetis in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $133.92.

Insider Transactions at Zoetis

In related news, Director Frank A. Damelio acquired 6,650 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $75.39 per share, for a total transaction of $501,343.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 21,458 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,617,718.62. The trade was a 44.91% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Michael B. Mccallister bought 3,000 shares of Zoetis stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $77.76 per share, with a total value of $233,280.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 24,524 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,906,986.24. This trade represents a 13.94% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have purchased 11,650 shares of company stock worth $886,384. Insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Zoetis

Here are the key news stories impacting Zoetis this week:

• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms, including Rosen, Robbins Geller, Bernstein Liebhard, Levi & Korsinsky, Schall, Pomerantz, and others, have announced or promoted securities-class-action claims against Zoetis, increasing headline risk and potentially signaling investor concern over prior disclosures. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The lawsuits specifically reference alleged share-price damage and loss recovery for purchasers during the class period, which can weigh on sentiment by raising the prospect of legal costs, management distraction, and possible settlements. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America Securities reportedly reiterated a Hold rating on Zoetis, suggesting analysts are cautious but not turning decisively bearish. Article Title

Zoetis Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of ZTS stock opened at $81.38 on Thursday. Zoetis Inc. has a 12 month low of $72.38 and a 12 month high of $168.83. The company has a quick ratio of 1.91, a current ratio of 3.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.80. The business’s 50 day moving average is $98.43 and its two-hundred day moving average is $114.75. The company has a market cap of $34.12 billion, a PE ratio of 13.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.75.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 net margin of 27.80% and a return on equity of 66.85%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.48 EPS. Zoetis has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.850-7.000 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Zoetis Inc. will post 6.88 EPS for the current year.

Zoetis Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 2.6%. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.16%.

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.