Lountzis Asset Management LLC Cuts Stake in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)

Lountzis Asset Management LLC cut its position in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 1.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 43,100 shares of the company’s stock after selling 499 shares during the period. Zoetis makes up about 3.0% of Lountzis Asset Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest holding. Lountzis Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $7,022,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Zoetis by 482.8% in the 4th quarter. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 169 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Zoetis in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. First Personal Financial Services purchased a new position in Zoetis in the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in Zoetis during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Dunhill Financial LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Zoetis by 80.6% during the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 168 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.80% of the company’s stock.

Zoetis Stock Performance

NYSE:ZTS opened at $156.92 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $167.29 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $178.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.75. Zoetis Inc. has a 52-week low of $144.80 and a 52-week high of $200.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $70.27 billion, a PE ratio of 28.69, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.90.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The company reported $1.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.37 by $0.03. Zoetis had a net margin of 26.86% and a return on equity of 53.82%. The company had revenue of $2.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.30 billion. Analysts forecast that Zoetis Inc. will post 6.06 EPS for the current year.

Zoetis Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, April 21st will be issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.27%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 21st. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.56%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 326 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.18, for a total value of $55,804.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 16,107 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,757,196.26. This represents a 1.98 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ZTS has been the subject of several research reports. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Zoetis from $243.00 to $238.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 14th. UBS Group began coverage on Zoetis in a report on Monday, December 9th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $196.00 price target on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on Zoetis from $210.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Leerink Partnrs upgraded Zoetis to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. Finally, Leerink Partners started coverage on Zoetis in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $215.00 target price on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $214.90.

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.