Zoetis Inc. $ZTS Shares Bought by Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc.

Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. lifted its holdings in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 21.2% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 323,500 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 56,500 shares during the quarter. Zoetis makes up about 1.4% of Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $38,241,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates bought a new stake in shares of Zoetis during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new position in shares of Zoetis in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Zoetis in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its holdings in Zoetis by 66.5% during the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 258 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the period. Finally, KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new stake in Zoetis during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. 92.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Zoetis Stock Performance

Shares of ZTS opened at $75.46 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $31.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.75. The company’s fifty day moving average is $79.17 and its 200-day moving average is $107.31. The company has a quick ratio of 1.91, a current ratio of 3.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.80. Zoetis Inc. has a 12 month low of $71.47 and a 12 month high of $160.48.

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

Zoetis Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 20th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio is presently 35.16%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Frank A. Damelio purchased 6,650 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were bought at an average price of $75.39 per share, for a total transaction of $501,343.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 21,458 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,617,718.62. This trade represents a 44.91% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Michael B. Mccallister bought 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $77.76 per share, with a total value of $233,280.00. Following the transaction, 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 disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders purchased 11,650 shares of company stock valued at $886,384 over the last 90 days. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on ZTS shares. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $115.00 target price on shares of Zoetis in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Zoetis from $145.00 to $112.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Argus reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Zoetis in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Wall Street Zen lowered Zoetis from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their price target on shares of Zoetis from $150.00 to $104.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $123.46.

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.