Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) Hits New 52-Week Low at $148.71

Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)’s share price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $148.71 and last traded at $150.54, with a volume of 2011411 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $162.73.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have weighed in on ZTS shares. StockNews.com downgraded Zoetis from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Zoetis from $190.00 to $226.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on Zoetis from $215.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. Barclays boosted their price target on Zoetis from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 14th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on Zoetis from $215.00 to $195.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Zoetis currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $224.88.

Zoetis Stock Down 7.8 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $68.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.58, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 3.36 and a quick ratio of 2.00. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $179.92 and its 200-day moving average price is $180.87.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $1.24 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by ($0.08). Zoetis had a return on equity of 51.25% and a net margin of 27.43%. The firm had revenue of $2.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.15 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Zoetis Inc. will post 5.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Zoetis Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 4th. Investors of record on Friday, April 19th will be paid a $0.432 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 18th. This represents a $1.73 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.15%. Zoetis’s payout ratio is presently 34.12%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Zoetis news, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 363 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $197.74, for a total value of $71,779.62. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,417 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,037,257.58. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders have sold 2,209 shares of company stock worth $408,453 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Zoetis

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its position in shares of Zoetis by 7.4% during the 3rd quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 93,735 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,308,000 after acquiring an additional 6,457 shares in the last quarter. Peak Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Zoetis during the 4th quarter valued at about $2,776,000. BLB&B Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Zoetis by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. BLB&B Advisors LLC now owns 60,872 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,591,000 after acquiring an additional 1,107 shares in the last quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in shares of Zoetis by 5.4% during the 3rd quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 6,216 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,070,000 after acquiring an additional 317 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Zoetis by 10.9% during the 4th quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 183,564 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,230,000 after acquiring an additional 17,976 shares in the last quarter. 92.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.