ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE:ZTO) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE:ZTO) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the seven brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, three have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $22.36.

ZTO has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Zacks Research cut ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Wall Street Zen cut ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 21st. Macquarie Infrastructure upgraded ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Sunday, February 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in a research note on Monday, December 29th.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Trading Up 1.9%

ZTO stock opened at $24.93 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.78, a PEG ratio of 1.30 and a beta of -0.20. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $23.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $21.15. ZTO Express has a 12-month low of $16.34 and a 12-month high of $26.20.

ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, March 17th. The transportation company reported $0.47 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $2.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.99 billion. ZTO Express (Cayman) had a net margin of 18.50% and a return on equity of 14.05%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that ZTO Express will post 1.57 EPS for the current year.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Dividend Announcement

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ZTO Express (Cayman)

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ZTO. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in ZTO Express (Cayman) in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new position in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) by 61.4% in the 2nd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,021 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 769 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Corp purchased a new position in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 41.65% of the company’s stock.

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.