O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC Trims Stake in Zoetis Inc. $ZTS

O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC lowered its stake in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 15.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 94,329 shares of the company’s stock after selling 17,847 shares during the quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $11,868,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Zoetis by 12.9% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 47,780,974 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,011,802,000 after purchasing an additional 5,474,210 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Zoetis by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 11,327,679 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,420,294,000 after purchasing an additional 189,235 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Zoetis during the 4th quarter worth $734,425,000. Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its stake in shares of Zoetis by 79.2% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 4,932,787 shares of the company’s stock worth $622,222,000 after purchasing an additional 2,179,578 shares during the period. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Zoetis by 14.6% during the 3rd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 4,312,779 shares of the company’s stock worth $631,046,000 after purchasing an additional 550,859 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.80% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Zoetis

In other news, Director Frank A. Damelio acquired 6,650 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $75.39 per share, for a total transaction of $501,343.50. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 21,458 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,617,718.62. This represents a 44.91% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Michael B. Mccallister acquired 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $77.76 per share, with a total value of $233,280.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 24,524 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,906,986.24. The trade was a 13.94% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders bought a total of 11,650 shares of company stock worth $886,384 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on ZTS. William Blair reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Zoetis in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Bank of America increased their price target on Zoetis from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on Zoetis from $105.00 to $95.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Weiss Ratings lowered Zoetis from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $115.00 price target on shares of Zoetis in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $133.92.

Zoetis Trading Up 4.1%

ZTS stock opened at $82.05 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $34.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.61, a PEG ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a quick ratio of 1.91, a current ratio of 3.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.80. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $99.13 and a 200-day simple moving average of $115.00. Zoetis Inc. has a 52 week low of $72.38 and a 52 week high of $168.83.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.60 by ($0.07). The firm had revenue of $2.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.30 billion. Zoetis had a return on equity of 66.85% and a net margin of 27.80%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.48 earnings per share. Zoetis has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.850-7.000 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Zoetis Inc. will post 6.88 EPS for the current year.

Zoetis Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 20th. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio is presently 35.16%.

More Zoetis News

Here are the key news stories impacting Zoetis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zoetis received U.K. approval for Lenivia, a long-acting osteoarthritis pain treatment for dogs, which could help expand its companion-animal business and support future product revenue. Zoetis (ZTS) Receives UK Approval for Long-Acting Osteoarthritis Pain Therapy Lenivia
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary noted Stifel lowered its price target on Zoetis to $95 from $105 while keeping a Hold rating, reinforcing a more cautious near-term view on the stock. Here’s What Analysts Are Saying About Zoetis Inc. (ZTS)
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms announced or reiterated class-action lawsuits and lead-plaintiff deadlines against Zoetis, alleging investor harm tied to alleged securities-law violations during the Jan. 14, 2025 to May 6, 2026 period, which may pressure the shares. INVESTOR ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Reminds Investors with Losses on their Investment in Zoetis Inc. of Class Action Lawsuit and Upcoming Deadlines – ZTS
• Negative Sentiment: Additional securities-fraud notices from firms including Schall, Gross, Rosen, Glancy Prongay, Levi & Korsinsky, and others keep legal overhang front and center, increasing headline risk for Zoetis. ZTS Investors Have Opportunity to Lead Zoetis Inc. Securities Fraud Lawsuit with the Schall Law Firm

Zoetis 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.