Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) Short Interest Update

Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 13,742,200 shares, an increase of 26.3% from the December 15th total of 10,884,389 shares. Approximately 3.1% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 6,589,155 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.1 days. Based on an average daily volume of 6,589,155 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.1 days. Approximately 3.1% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Zoetis Stock Performance

Shares of ZTS stock opened at $122.88 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 2.28 and a current ratio of 3.64. The company has a market capitalization of $54.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.97. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $123.31 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $139.11. Zoetis has a 52 week low of $115.25 and a 52 week high of $177.40.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.62 by $0.08. Zoetis had a net margin of 28.21% and a return on equity of 57.19%. The company had revenue of $2.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.42 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.58 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .5% compared to the same quarter last year. Zoetis has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.300-6.400 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Zoetis will post 6.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Zoetis Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This is a boost from Zoetis’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 20th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio is currently 33.67%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Zoetis from $158.00 to $141.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $160.00 price target on shares of Zoetis in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Morgan Stanley set a $160.00 price objective on shares of Zoetis in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Zoetis to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Finally, KeyCorp began coverage on shares of Zoetis in a report on Thursday, November 20th. They issued a “sector weight” rating on the stock. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $160.18.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC boosted its position in Zoetis by 496.6% during the 3rd quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 173 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates bought a new stake in shares of Zoetis in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Zoetis in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. REAP Financial Group LLC grew its position in Zoetis by 201.5% in the second quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 196 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new stake in Zoetis in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. 92.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.