** Shares of animal healthcare firm Zoetis ZTS.N up 1.2% to $122.44 premarket after securing capital raise for stock buybacks
** Parsippany, New Jersey-based ZTS early Tues announced pricing private offering of $1.75 bln convertible notes due June 2029
** Initial conversion price set at $148.20, 22.5% above stock's last close of $120.98
** ZTS stock rose 2% on Mon after co unveiled the offering
** Co intends to use ~$1.3 bln of net offering proceeds to repurchase its stock, which it expects to complete no later than end of Q1 2026
** It also plans to use ~$163 mln fund cost of capped calls, and ~$250 mln to buy 2.1 mln shares to facilitate hedging transactions
** Initial cap price of $211.72 is 75% above stock's last sale on Mon
** Through Mon, ZTS stock down ~26% YTD compared to 13% gain in S&P 500 Healthcare index .SPXHC
** 14 of 19 a nalysts rate the stock "strong buy" or "buy", 5 rate "hold" and median PT is $160, per LSEG data
(Lance Tupper is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)
((lance.tupper@tr.com 1-646-279-6380))
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