ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE:ZTO) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• ZTO Express has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating from five analysts, with two buys, one strong buy and two holds. The average 12-month price target is $29.55, above the stock’s reported $21.34 price.
• ZTO’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations on earnings, reporting $0.56 EPS versus a $0.50 estimate, while revenue reached $2.14 billion and increased 23% year over year.
• Institutional investors own 41.65% of ZTO, with several funds recently initiating or expanding positions. The stock has traded between $17.74 and $26.20 over the past year and was down 0.8% in the reported session.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE:ZTO - Get Free Report) has received a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the five ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $29.55.

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Research downgraded ZTO Express (Cayman) from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $30.10 price target on shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in a research report on Monday.

Institutional Trading of ZTO Express (Cayman)

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ZTO. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new position in ZTO Express (Cayman) during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in ZTO Express (Cayman) by 61.4% in 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 period. Finally, Assetmark Inc. increased its position in ZTO Express (Cayman) by 1,713.0% during the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 2,375 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 2,244 shares during the period. 41.65% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Stock Down 0.8%

ZTO opened at $21.34 on Friday. ZTO Express has a one year low of $17.74 and a one year high of $26.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 1.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.82 and a beta of -0.22. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $23.21 and its 200-day simple moving average is $23.82.

ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 18th. The transportation company reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.50 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $2.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.15 billion. ZTO Express (Cayman) had a return on equity of 15.94% and a net margin of 19.03%.ZTO Express (Cayman)'s revenue for the quarter was up 23.0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that ZTO Express will post 1.95 EPS for the current year.

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.

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