ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE:ZTO) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• Short interest fell 21.4% in March to 15,370,914 shares, with a days-to-cover ratio of 6.9 and roughly 4.6% of the stock currently short sold.
• The company disclosed a $0.39 per share dividend payable April 29 to shareholders of record April 8, with the report citing a yield of 318.0% and a payout ratio of 48.1%.
• Analyst sentiment has improved—Wall Street Zen and Macquarie upgraded ZTO, JPMorgan raised its price target to $29, and the stock carries an average "Buy" rating with an average price target of $24.45.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE:ZTO - Get Free Report) was the target of a large decline in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 15,370,914 shares, a decline of 21.4% from the March 15th total of 19,552,150 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 2,217,618 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 6.9 days. Currently, 4.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Stock Performance

ZTO stock traded up $0.20 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $25.28. 2,553,946 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,011,874. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of -0.17. ZTO Express has a 52-week low of $16.68 and a 52-week high of $26.20. The business has a 50 day moving average of $24.42 and a 200-day moving average of $21.81.

ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Saturday, February 14th. The transportation company reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $2.07 billion during the quarter. ZTO Express (Cayman) had a return on equity of 14.05% and a net margin of 18.50%. Research analysts anticipate that ZTO Express will post 1.57 earnings per share for the current year.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 29th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a yield of 318.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 8th. ZTO Express (Cayman)'s payout ratio is presently 48.10%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ZTO Express (Cayman)

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ZTO. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Leonteq Securities AG bought a new position in ZTO Express (Cayman) during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in ZTO Express (Cayman) in the 4th quarter worth about $35,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in 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 purchasing an additional 769 shares during the period. Finally, First Horizon Corp bought a new stake in ZTO Express (Cayman) in the third quarter worth about $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 41.65% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on ZTO. Wall Street Zen raised ZTO Express (Cayman) from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, April 11th. Macquarie Infrastructure upgraded shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, February 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from $25.00 to $29.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday. Zacks Research upgraded shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $24.45.

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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