QRG Capital Management Inc. Sells 331 Shares of Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)

QRG Capital Management Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 0.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 76,520 shares of the company’s stock after selling 331 shares during the quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $12,467,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Zoetis by 482.8% during the fourth quarter. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 169 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Zoetis during the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. First Personal Financial Services bought a new position in Zoetis during the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in Zoetis during the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Dunhill Financial LLC grew its holdings in Zoetis by 80.6% during the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 168 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.80% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on ZTS shares. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Zoetis from $243.00 to $238.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 14th. Leerink Partners started coverage on Zoetis in a report on Monday, December 2nd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $215.00 price target on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on Zoetis from $210.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. StockNews.com downgraded Zoetis from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on Zoetis from $242.00 to $244.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $215.90.

Insider Buying and Selling at Zoetis

In other Zoetis news, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 326 shares of Zoetis stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.18, for a total transaction of $55,804.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,107 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,757,196.26. This trade represents a 1.98 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Zoetis Stock Down 0.0 %

ZTS opened at $164.95 on Friday. Zoetis Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $144.80 and a fifty-two week high of $200.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.08. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $166.25 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $177.49. The company has a market capitalization of $73.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.90.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The company reported $1.40 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.37 by $0.03. Zoetis had a net margin of 26.86% and a return on equity of 53.82%. The firm had revenue of $2.32 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.30 billion. On average, analysts anticipate that Zoetis Inc. will post 6.07 EPS for the current year.

Zoetis Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 21st. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.21%. Zoetis’s payout ratio is presently 36.56%.

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.