ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) Stock Price Down 3.7% – What’s Next?

ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE:ZTO)’s share price traded down 3.7% on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $24.17 and last traded at $24.34. 672,068 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 69% from the average session volume of 2,148,979 shares. The stock had previously closed at $25.27.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on ZTO shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. Macquarie Infrastructure upgraded ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, February 8th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $22.36.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $14.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.38, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of -0.20. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $23.62 and its two-hundred day moving average is $21.20.

ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 17th. The transportation company reported $0.47 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.03. ZTO Express (Cayman) had a return on equity of 14.05% and a net margin of 18.50%.The company had revenue of $2.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.99 billion. The firm’s revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that ZTO Express will post 1.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 29th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 8th will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 8th. This represents a dividend yield of 305.0%. ZTO Express (Cayman)’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.71%.

Institutional Trading of ZTO Express (Cayman)

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in ZTO Express (Cayman) during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Leonteq Securities AG bought a new position in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) during the fourth quarter worth approximately $35,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) by 61.4% during the second quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,021 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 769 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Corp bought a new stake in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) during the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 41.65% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Company Profile

ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc is one of China’s leading express delivery companies, specializing in both domestic and cross-border parcel logistics. The company operates a technology-enabled network that connects shippers, independent pickup and delivery stations, regional sorting hubs and end customers. ZTO’s service portfolio includes standard express, heavy-weight parcel delivery, time-definite shipments and e-commerce logistics solutions tailored for online retailers and marketplaces.

Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Shanghai, ZTO has grown rapidly by leveraging a franchise-style operating model that engages a broad network of independent contractors.