Capital Investment Advisors LLC Grows Position in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)

Capital Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 32.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,870 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,687 shares during the period. Capital Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $1,884,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in ZTS. Private Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Zoetis in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Webster Bank N. A. lifted its position in shares of Zoetis by 89.1% in the 1st quarter. Webster Bank N. A. now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. Gladius Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Zoetis in the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. Neo Ivy Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Zoetis in the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. Finally, EdgeRock Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Zoetis in the 4th quarter worth approximately $45,000. 92.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Zoetis Stock Performance

Shares of Zoetis stock traded down $3.05 during trading on Friday, reaching $185.25. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,881,668 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,790,747. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $176.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $175.47. The firm has a market cap of $84.53 billion, a PE ratio of 35.69, a P/E/G ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.86. Zoetis Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $144.80 and a fifty-two week high of $201.92. The company has a current ratio of 3.33, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $1.56 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $2.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.31 billion. Zoetis had a net margin of 26.29% and a return on equity of 50.47%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.41 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Zoetis Inc. will post 5.81 EPS for the current year.

Zoetis Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 18th will be given a $0.432 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 18th. This represents a $1.73 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.93%. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio is presently 33.14%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ZTS has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $195.00 price objective (down previously from $220.00) on shares of Zoetis in a research note on Tuesday, April 16th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Zoetis from $260.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 23rd. HSBC reduced their price objective on shares of Zoetis from $230.00 to $225.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 8th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Zoetis from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 5th. Finally, BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Zoetis in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. They set a “buy” rating and a $220.00 price target on the stock. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Zoetis presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $214.89.

Zoetis 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.