The number of animal pets in the U.S. shot up during the pandemic, giving a boost to pet and livestock medicines and vaccines maker Zoetis. The American Medical Veterinary Association said in an October report that "... the percentage of U.S. households that own at least one dog increased from 38% to 45% between 2016 and 2020." Dog ownership leveled off there but, "Cats, on the other hand, are becoming more popular recently," the AMVA said. It should be no surprise that on Monday the Relative Strength (RS) Rating for Zoetis stock rose from 68 to 74.
When researching the best stocks to buy and watch, one metric to keep a close on eye on is a stock's price strength relative to other stocks. The 74 RS Rating for Zoetis stock means that it now tops 74% of all stocks for price performance this past year. Top growth stocks typically have an RS Rating north of 80.
Zoetis Stock's Other Key Ratings Shine
Among its other ratings Zoetis holds an 87 Earnings Per Share Rating, out of a best-possible 99. That puts it in the top 13% for recent and long-term profit growth. The Composite Rating for Zoetis stock is 88 and it has an outstanding A SMR Rating (sales + profit margins + return on equity). Another sign of strength is its B Accumulation/Distribution Rating on an A+ to E scale. The B rating shows that institutional investors such as ETFs are fairly heavy buyers of its stock.
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Zoetis stock is trying to complete a flat base with a 176.76 buy point. See if it can break out in heavy trading. It hit a recent intraday low in early November at 124.15. On Monday it closed at 170.87, up 1.1% for the day.
Zoetis Stock Price, Profit, Sales Improved Last Quarter
Top and bottom line growth moved higher in the company's most recent quarter. Earnings were up 15% to $1.15 per share. Revenue grew a mild 4% to $2.04 billion. Look for Zoetis' next report on or around May 4.
Zoetis stock holds the No. 4 rank among its peers in the Medical-Ethical Drugs industry group. Sanofi and Takeda Pharmaceutical are also among the group's highest-rated stocks.
IBD's unique Relative Strength Rating measures market leadership by using a 1 (worst) to 99 (best) score that shows how a stock's price performance over the trailing 52 weeks compares to other publicly traded companies.
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