Commonwealth Equity Services LLC Acquires 7,455 Shares of Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) by 4.5% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 171,416 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,455 shares during the quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC’s holdings in Zoetis were worth $29,520,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Enterprise Financial Services Corp lifted its position in Zoetis by 2.3% in the first quarter. Enterprise Financial Services Corp now owns 2,446 shares of the company’s stock valued at $407,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC boosted its position in Zoetis by 3.4% during the 2nd quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 1,700 shares of the company’s stock valued at $293,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the period. Cherry Creek Investment Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Zoetis by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Cherry Creek Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 3,298 shares of the company’s stock worth $568,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Zoetis by 1.3% in the second quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC now owns 4,676 shares of the company’s stock valued at $805,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the period. Finally, New World Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Zoetis by 2.9% during the second quarter. New World Advisors LLC now owns 2,190 shares of the company’s stock valued at $377,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.47% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Zoetis

In related news, EVP Heidi C. Chen sold 9,905 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.15, for a total transaction of $1,784,385.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 27,478 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,950,161.70. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, EVP Heidi C. Chen sold 9,905 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, September 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.15, for a total value of $1,784,385.75. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 27,478 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,950,161.70. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Roxanne Lagano sold 923 shares of Zoetis stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.92, for a total value of $159,605.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 23,588 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,078,836.96. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 25,674 shares of company stock valued at $4,627,465 in the last ninety days. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Zoetis Stock Performance

Shares of ZTS stock opened at $174.80 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 3.87, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $171.85 and its 200-day moving average price is $175.65. The stock has a market cap of $80.25 billion, a PE ratio of 35.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.83. Zoetis Inc. has a 12 month low of $140.76 and a 12 month high of $194.99.

Zoetis Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.375 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 31st. This represents a $1.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.86%. Zoetis’s payout ratio is 30.49%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on ZTS shares. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Zoetis from $204.00 to $213.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 9th. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on Zoetis from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, November 6th. StockNews.com cut shares of Zoetis from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, October 8th. HSBC initiated coverage on shares of Zoetis in a report on Wednesday, September 6th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $230.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of Zoetis from $205.00 to $195.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 30th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $216.29.

Zoetis Company Profile

Zoetis Inc discovers, develops, manufactures, and commercializes animal health medicines, vaccines, and diagnostic products in the United States and internationally. It 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.