ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) Rating Increased to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Saturday.

ZTO has been the subject of several other research reports. Zacks Research downgraded ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in a report on Monday, December 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $22.36.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Price Performance

Shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) stock opened at $24.13 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $21.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $20.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.98, a P/E/G ratio of 4.54 and a beta of -0.18. ZTO Express has a fifty-two week low of $16.34 and a fifty-two week high of $24.14.

ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 20th. The transportation company reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.51 by ($2.08). ZTO Express (Cayman) had a net margin of 18.61% and a return on equity of 14.33%. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.90 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that ZTO Express will post 1.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new stake in ZTO Express (Cayman) in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) by 61.4% during the 2nd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,021 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 769 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in the 3rd quarter valued at about $40,000. CWM LLC increased its position in ZTO Express (Cayman) by 42.2% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,341 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 695 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assetmark Inc. increased its position in ZTO Express (Cayman) by 1,713.0% in the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 2,375 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 2,244 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 41.65% of the company’s stock.

About ZTO Express (Cayman)

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.