Maple Capital Management Inc. Sells 219 Shares of Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)

Maple Capital Management Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 0.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 84,842 shares of the company’s stock after selling 219 shares during the quarter. Zoetis accounts for about 1.0% of Maple Capital Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest position. Maple Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $13,823,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Zoetis in the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. First Personal Financial Services bought a new stake in Zoetis during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Zoetis in the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Dunhill Financial LLC lifted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. 92.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Zoetis Stock Performance

NYSE ZTS opened at $167.58 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $75.04 billion, a PE ratio of 30.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.90. 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 company has a 50-day simple moving average of $166.30 and a 200 day simple moving average of $177.38.

Zoetis (NYSE:ZTS) last issued its quarterly 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. The company had revenue of $2.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.30 billion. Zoetis had a net margin of 26.86% and a return on equity of 53.82%. On average, research analysts predict that Zoetis Inc. will post 6.07 EPS for the current year.

Zoetis Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 21st will be paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 21st. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.19%. Zoetis’s payout ratio is presently 36.56%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on Zoetis from $210.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price 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. Leerink Partnrs raised shares of Zoetis to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. Leerink Partners began coverage on shares of Zoetis in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $215.00 price objective for the company. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Zoetis from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Zoetis currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $215.90.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 326 shares of Zoetis 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 sale, the executive vice president now 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

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.