Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) Given New $180.00 Price Target at Stifel Nicolaus

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) had its price target decreased by Stifel Nicolaus from $210.00 to $180.00 in a report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. Stifel Nicolaus currently has a buy rating on the stock.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on ZTS. Leerink Partnrs upgraded Zoetis to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. Leerink Partners initiated coverage on shares of Zoetis in a report on Monday, December 2nd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $215.00 target price for the company. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Zoetis in a research note on Monday, December 9th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $196.00 price target on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Zoetis from $225.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Zoetis has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $211.89.

Zoetis Stock Down 1.3 %

Shares of ZTS stock opened at $163.68 on Tuesday. Zoetis has a twelve month low of $144.80 and a twelve month high of $200.53. The stock has a market cap of $73.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.89. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $172.71 and a 200 day moving average of $180.42. The company has a current ratio of 3.69, a quick ratio of 2.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.46 by $0.12. Zoetis had a return on equity of 51.98% and a net margin of 26.55%. The firm had revenue of $2.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.29 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.36 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Zoetis will post 5.9 EPS for the current year.

Zoetis Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 21st will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is a positive change from Zoetis’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.22%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 21st. Zoetis’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.59%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Zoetis

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ZTS. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Zoetis during the third quarter valued at $31,000. First Personal Financial Services acquired a new stake in shares of Zoetis during the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Zoetis during the third quarter worth about $33,000. Dunhill Financial LLC raised its position in shares of Zoetis by 80.6% in the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 168 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP lifted its stake in shares of Zoetis by 273.2% during the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 209 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 153 shares during the period. 92.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.