ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE:ZTO) Receives Average Recommendation of “Buy” from Analysts

ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE:ZTO) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the seven analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, three have given a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $22.36.

Several brokerages have issued reports on ZTO. Wall Street Zen raised shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 27th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Stock Down 2.2%

NYSE ZTO opened at $21.35 on Thursday. ZTO Express has a 52 week low of $16.34 and a 52 week high of $22.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.14, a PEG ratio of 3.92 and a beta of -0.21. The company has a fifty day moving average of $20.35 and a two-hundred day moving average of $19.47.

ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The transportation company reported $0.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.51 by ($2.08). ZTO Express (Cayman) had a return on equity of 14.33% and a net margin of 18.61%.During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.90 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that ZTO Express will post 1.57 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ZTO Express (Cayman)

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised 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 acquiring an additional 769 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Corp purchased a new position in ZTO Express (Cayman) during the 3rd quarter worth $40,000. CWM LLC raised its position in ZTO Express (Cayman) by 42.2% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,341 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 695 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) by 156.2% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,489 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $62,000 after buying an additional 2,127 shares during the period. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) by 74.3% in the 3rd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 3,668 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $70,000 after buying an additional 1,563 shares during the period. 41.65% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.