Zoetis Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:ZTS)

Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) was the target of some unusual options trading on Monday. Traders bought 8,095 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 59% compared to the average volume of 5,087 call options.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on ZTS. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Zoetis from $190.00 to $130.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Zoetis from $145.00 to $112.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Zoetis from $95.00 to $85.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Zoetis from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Zoetis from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $120.83.

Insider Activity at Zoetis

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Zoetis

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Prosperity Bancshares Inc bought a new stake in Zoetis in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Zoetis during the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Zoetis during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Root Financial Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Zoetis by 66.5% in the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 258 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Zoetis in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. 92.80% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Zoetis News

Here are the key news stories impacting Zoetis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity showed traders buying 8,095 call options, well above the normal daily volume of about 5,087, suggesting some investors are positioning for a rebound. MarketBeat options activity report

Zoetis Stock Down 1.2%

ZTS opened at $75.26 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $77.29 and a 200-day moving average price of $105.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.80, a current ratio of 3.15 and a quick ratio of 1.91. Zoetis has a one year low of $71.47 and a one year high of $160.48.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $1.53 earnings per share (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 the consensus estimate 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.48 earnings per share. Zoetis has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.850-7.000 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Zoetis will post 6.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Zoetis Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, July 20th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 20th. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio is currently 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.