Diversified Portfolios Inc. Purchases New Shares in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)

Diversified Portfolios Inc. bought a new position in Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 1,028 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $203,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Zoetis by 222.5% in the fourth quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 129 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the period. Evermay Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Zoetis by 439.3% during the first quarter. Evermay Wealth Management LLC now owns 151 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the period. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Zoetis by 430.8% during the first quarter. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 138 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 112 shares during the period. Worth Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Zoetis in the first quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo LLC raised its holdings in shares of Zoetis by 105.5% in the third quarter. Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo LLC now owns 187 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.80% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Zoetis

In other news, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 363 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $197.74, for a total transaction of $71,779.62. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 20,417 shares in the company, valued at $4,037,257.58. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 2,209 shares of company stock worth $408,453. Insiders own 0.15% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ZTS has been the subject of several recent research reports. StockNews.com downgraded Zoetis from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $230.00 price objective on shares of Zoetis in a report on Tuesday, December 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Zoetis from $190.00 to $226.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. Barclays lifted their price objective on Zoetis from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 14th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on Zoetis from $215.00 to $195.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $221.75.

Zoetis Price Performance

ZTS opened at $153.02 on Wednesday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $178.25 and its two-hundred day moving average is $180.59. Zoetis Inc. has a 1 year low of $148.48 and a 1 year high of $201.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 3.36 and a quick ratio of 2.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $69.99 billion, a PE ratio of 30.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.85.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $1.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.08). Zoetis had a net margin of 27.43% and a return on equity of 51.25%. The company had revenue of $2.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.19 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.15 EPS. Zoetis’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Zoetis Inc. will post 5.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Zoetis Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.432 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 18th. This represents a $1.73 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.13%. Zoetis’s payout ratio is 34.12%.

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.