Finance

REPORT: Bill Ackman Just Took A Huge Stake In An Animal Health Company And Shares Ripped

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Bill Ackman
Reuters/ Eduardo Munoz

Activist investor Bill Ackman, who runs Pershing Square Capital, has taken a huge stake in animal health company Zoetis, the Wall Street Journal reports citing unnamed sources familiar with the investment. 

Shares of Zoetis (ZTS) rose 8.86%, or $3.56, to end the day at $43.72 per share. The stock was last up in the late session. 

Ackman's position is worth about $2 billion. It's about a 10% stake, the Wall Street Journal report said.

According to the Journal, Ackman might push for Zoetis to be acquired by pharmaceutical company Valeant. 

Valeant and Ackman teamed up earlier this year to pursue a takeover of Botox-maker Allergan in stock and cash. So far, Allergan has rejected Pershing Square's/Valeant's cash-and-stock bids for the company. 

Here's a chart of Zoetis: 

zoetis
Google Finance

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Julia is formerly a senior reporter covering finance. She wrote for Business Insider from 2011 to 2016. She studied broadcast journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.While at UNC, she contributed to the award-winning student-run newscast "Carolina Week" as a reporter. She was a member of the university’s equestrian team competing in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association. She is a member of the New York Junior League. She volunteers with Project Sunshine and is a mentor to an area high-school student via Futures & Options.Julia is a Half Ironman finisher and a New York City Marathon finisher. She was Miss New York United States 2014.