ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE:ZTO) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE:ZTO) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the five research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $29.55.

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

ZTO Express (Cayman) Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE ZTO opened at $21.34 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.82 and a beta of -0.22. ZTO Express has a 52 week low of $17.74 and a 52 week high of $26.20. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $23.21 and a 200 day moving average price of $23.82. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.

ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) last issued 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. ZTO Express (Cayman) had a net margin of 19.03% and a return on equity of 15.94%. The company had revenue of $2.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.15 billion. ZTO Express (Cayman)’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that ZTO Express will post 1.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ZTO Express (Cayman)

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new position in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its stake 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 valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 769 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assetmark Inc. grew its holdings 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 valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 2,244 shares during the last quarter. 41.65% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.