Simmons Bank Cuts Stake in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)

Simmons Bank lessened its stake in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 8.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 9,537 shares of the company’s stock after selling 892 shares during the quarter. Simmons Bank’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $1,882,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of ZTS. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Zoetis by 222.5% during the 4th quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 129 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky grew its position in 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 acquiring an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Ramirez Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Zoetis during the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. First Financial Corp IN raised its position in Zoetis by 57.2% during the fourth quarter. First Financial Corp IN now owns 217 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the period. Finally, Bogart Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Zoetis by 188.9% in the 3rd quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 260 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.80% of the company’s stock.

Zoetis Trading Up 1.5 %

Shares of Zoetis stock traded up $2.50 on Tuesday, hitting $168.45. 3,318,087 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,179,154. The company has a current ratio of 3.33, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30. The company has a market cap of $76.86 billion, a PE ratio of 32.46, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.86. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $167.64 and its 200-day moving average price is $178.93. Zoetis Inc. has a 52 week low of $144.80 and a 52 week high of $201.92.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The company reported $1.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $2.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.14 billion. Zoetis had a return on equity of 50.34% and a net margin of 27.38%. Zoetis’s revenue was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.31 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Zoetis Inc. will post 5.77 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Zoetis from $195.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of Zoetis from $223.00 to $196.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $195.00 price objective (down from $220.00) on shares of Zoetis in a research report on Tuesday, April 16th. StockNews.com lowered Zoetis from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on Zoetis from $260.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $212.38.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 923 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.17, for a total value of $139,529.91. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 14,800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,237,316. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders have sold a total of 2,209 shares of company stock worth $371,293 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Zoetis 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.