
Find out why Zoetis's -17.9% return over the last year is lagging behind its peers.
A Discounted Cash Flow, or DCF, model takes the cash Zoetis is expected to generate in the future and discounts those projections back to what they are worth in today’s dollars. It is a way of asking what the entire stream of future cash flows might be worth right now.
Zoetis currently generates trailing twelve month free cash flow of about $2.21b. The model used here is a 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity approach, which relies on analyst estimates for the next few years and then extends those forecasts further out. Analysts provide explicit forecasts up to 2030, with projected free cash flow of $3.63b in that year, and Simply Wall St extrapolates figures beyond the analyst horizon using more modest growth assumptions.
When all those future cash flows are discounted back and summed, the model arrives at an estimated intrinsic value of $211.87 per share. Against a current share price of about $116.80, the DCF output points to a 44.9% discount, which indicates that the stock appears materially undervalued based on this method.
Result: UNDERVALUED
Our Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) analysis suggests Zoetis is undervalued by 44.9%. Track this in your watchlist or portfolio, or discover 61 more high quality undervalued stocks.
For a profitable company like Zoetis, the P/E ratio is a useful way to think about what you are paying for each dollar of earnings. It links directly to the business’s current profitability, which many investors use as a starting point for comparing similar stocks.
A “normal” or “fair” P/E typically reflects what the market is willing to pay given expectations for earnings growth and the perceived risk of those earnings. Higher expected growth or lower perceived risk can support a higher P/E, while lower growth expectations or higher risk usually point to a lower multiple.
Zoetis currently trades on a P/E of about 18.45x, compared with the Pharmaceuticals industry average of about 16.55x and a peer group average of roughly 21.72x. Simply Wall St’s Fair Ratio for Zoetis is 20.95x, which is its proprietary view of what the P/E “should” be, given factors such as earnings growth, industry, profit margins, market cap and risk profile. This Fair Ratio can be more tailored than a simple peer or industry comparison because it brings those company specific drivers into a single number. With the current P/E of 18.45x sitting below the Fair Ratio of 20.95x, Zoetis screens as undervalued on this metric.
Result: UNDERVALUED
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Earlier it was mentioned that there is an even better way to think about valuation. Narratives on Simply Wall St take your view of Zoetis, link it to explicit forecasts, and then translate that into a Fair Value you can compare directly with the current share price. This helps you decide whether you see the stock as attractively or fully priced. Each Narrative lives on the Community page and updates automatically when new information like news or earnings arrives. One investor might align with a more optimistic Zoetis view with a Fair Value around US$187.59, while another leans toward a more cautious Fair Value around US$130. You can see both side by side and choose the story that best matches your expectations for future revenue, earnings and margins.
Do you think there's more to the story for Zoetis? Head over to our Community to see what others are saying!
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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