ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded ZTO Express from "hold" to "strong-buy", joining recent upgrades from Macquarie and Wall Street Zen; the consensus analyst rating is "Buy" with an average price target of $24.45 and JPMorgan recently raising its target to $29.00.
• Shares trade near $25 with a market capitalization of $14.07 billion, a P/E of 15.8 and PEG of 1.28, a 52‑week range of $16.68–$26.20, and 50/200‑day moving averages of $24.37/$21.79.
• Fundamentals: ZTO reported $0.47 EPS and $2.07 billion in revenue last quarter with an 18.5% net margin and 14.05% ROE, analysts forecast about 1.57 EPS for the year, and institutional investors own roughly 41.65% of the stock.

ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

ZTO has been the topic of several other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on ZTO Express (Cayman) from $25.00 to $29.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday. Wall Street Zen upgraded ZTO Express (Cayman) from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. Macquarie Infrastructure raised ZTO Express (Cayman) from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Sunday, February 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated 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 assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, ZTO Express (Cayman) presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $24.45.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Price Performance

ZTO Express (Cayman) stock opened at $24.96 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $14.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.80, a PEG ratio of 1.28 and a beta of -0.17. ZTO Express has a one year low of $16.68 and a one year high of $26.20. The company's fifty day moving average price is $24.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $21.79.

ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO - Get Free Report) last posted 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 for the quarter. ZTO Express (Cayman) had a net margin of 18.50% and a return on equity of 14.05%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that ZTO Express will post 1.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ZTO Express (Cayman)

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Corient Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in ZTO Express (Cayman) during the 4th quarter valued at about $221,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its position in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) by 93.9% in the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 249,469 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $5,211,000 after acquiring an additional 120,835 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in ZTO Express (Cayman) during the fourth quarter worth $42,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in ZTO Express (Cayman) by 32.4% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 197,679 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $4,130,000 after buying an additional 48,363 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vident Advisory LLC increased its holdings in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 55,995 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,170,000 after purchasing an additional 1,786 shares during the last quarter. 41.65% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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