ZTS +2% on company’s first-ever quarterly report, which (as I predicted in #msg-85781758) features a lower tax rate (29%) than the 32% rate used for modeling purposes in the pre-IPO roadshow:
On its own 1Q13 today, PFE said it still hasn’t decided how to distribute ZTS shares to PFE shareholders—i.e. whether or not it will be done via a swap of ZTS shares for PFE shares.
Zoetis (ticker: ZTS), which makes vaccines, antibiotics, and other treatments for both pets and livestock, sits squarely in the middle of two major trends. For starters, there seems to be no limit to what Americans will spend on their pets. Households are expected to spend $63 billion this year ensuring the furry members of their families are happy and healthy, with about a quarter of that on veterinary services, according to the American Pet Products Association.
At the same time, people are eating more meat, especially in emerging markets; meat production is expected to grow 16% by 2025, propelling demand for the company’s livestock products.
All true, but ZTS’ valuation has risen a lot since the 2013 IPO at $26 (#msg-84067350), and from where I originally bought it (#msg-84101165), because ZTS is the kind of safe, "bond proxy" stock that's been very popular in the current bull market.