Sigma Planning Corp Decreases Stock Position in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)

Sigma Planning Corp trimmed its position in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 44.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,167 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,208 shares during the quarter. Sigma Planning Corp’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $1,020,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Zoetis by 222.5% in the fourth quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 129 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky raised its stake in shares of Zoetis by 371.4% in the fourth quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 165 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo LLC raised its stake in shares of Zoetis by 105.5% in the third quarter. Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo LLC now owns 187 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Ramirez Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Zoetis in the third quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, First Financial Corp IN raised its stake in shares of Zoetis by 57.2% in the fourth quarter. First Financial Corp IN now owns 217 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. 92.80% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 363 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $197.74, for a total value of $71,779.62. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 20,417 shares in the company, valued at $4,037,257.58. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders have sold a total of 2,209 shares of company stock worth $371,293 over the last quarter. 0.15% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Barclays reduced their price objective on Zoetis from $260.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Zoetis from $190.00 to $226.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $195.00 target price (down from $220.00) on shares of Zoetis in a report on Tuesday, April 16th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on Zoetis from $215.00 to $195.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Zoetis from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Zoetis has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $218.00.

Zoetis Stock Up 2.8 %

Shares of ZTS opened at $149.56 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 3.36, a quick ratio of 2.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. Zoetis Inc. has a 12 month low of $144.80 and a 12 month high of $201.92. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $173.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $179.78. The firm has a market cap of $68.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.50, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.85.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $1.24 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.08). Zoetis had a net margin of 27.43% and a return on equity of 51.25%. The business had revenue of $2.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.15 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Zoetis Inc. will post 5.79 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, June 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 19th will be given a $0.432 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 18th. This represents a $1.73 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.16%. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.12%.

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.