Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) Shares Sold by Louisiana State Employees Retirement System

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System lowered its stake in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 4.7% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 24,300 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,200 shares during the quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $3,959,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Zoetis by 482.8% in the 4th quarter. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 169 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares during the period. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Zoetis in the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. First Personal Financial Services acquired a new stake in Zoetis in the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in Zoetis in the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Dunhill Financial LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Zoetis by 80.6% in the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 168 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the period. 92.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Zoetis news, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 326 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.18, for a total value of $55,804.68. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 16,107 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,757,196.26. This represents a 1.98 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Zoetis Price Performance

ZTS opened at $173.99 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $169.11 and a 200-day moving average of $179.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $78.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.70, a PEG ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a quick ratio of 2.27, a current ratio of 3.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. Zoetis Inc. has a 12-month low of $144.80 and a 12-month high of $200.53.

Zoetis Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 21st will be given a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.15%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 21st. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 37.59%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ZTS has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Zoetis from $248.00 to $243.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of Zoetis from $210.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Piper Sandler cut their target price on shares of Zoetis from $210.00 to $200.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Leerink Partnrs raised shares of Zoetis to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. Finally, UBS Group started coverage on Zoetis in a research report on Monday, December 9th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $196.00 price objective for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $214.00.

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.