Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. Decreases Stock Holdings in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)

Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. lowered its stake in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 38,240 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,954 shares during the quarter. Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P.’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $7,471,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Asset Dedication LLC grew its holdings in shares of Zoetis by 4.8% in the second quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 1,174 shares of the company’s stock worth $204,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares during the period. Forza Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Zoetis by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. Forza Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,313 shares of the company’s stock valued at $574,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Cherry Creek Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Zoetis by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Cherry Creek Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 3,021 shares of the company’s stock worth $590,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the period. L. Roy Papp & Associates LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Zoetis by 2.8% in the second quarter. L. Roy Papp & Associates LLP now owns 2,221 shares of the company’s stock worth $385,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust grew its position in Zoetis by 0.5% during the third quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 11,763 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,298,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.80% of the company’s stock.

Zoetis Stock Performance

NYSE:ZTS opened at $176.74 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $184.18 and a 200 day moving average price of $180.78. The company has a current ratio of 3.69, a quick ratio of 2.27 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 $201.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $79.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.22, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.90.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $0.12. Zoetis had a net margin of 26.55% and a return on equity of 51.98%. The firm had revenue of $2.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.29 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.36 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Zoetis Inc. will post 5.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Zoetis Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.432 per share. This represents a $1.73 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.98%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 31st. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.52%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on ZTS. Argus upgraded shares of Zoetis to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. BTIG Research lifted their target price on Zoetis from $220.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Zoetis from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on Zoetis from $195.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Zoetis from $225.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $221.44.

Zoetis Company 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.