ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.06 EPS

ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) released its earnings results on Wednesday. The transportation company reported $0.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.45 by ($0.06), Zacks reports. ZTO Express (Cayman) had a net margin of 18.50% and a return on equity of 14.05%. The firm had revenue of $1.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.84 billion.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Stock Performance

ZTO opened at $23.55 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $24.73 and a 200-day moving average of $22.76. ZTO Express has a fifty-two week low of $16.68 and a fifty-two week high of $26.20. The company has a market capitalization of $13.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.91, a P/E/G ratio of 1.19 and a beta of -0.18.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 29th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 8th were issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 8th. This represents a dividend yield of 318.0%. ZTO Express (Cayman)’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 48.10%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ZTO has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on ZTO Express (Cayman) from $25.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 11th. Macquarie Infrastructure upgraded ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, February 8th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $24.45.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in ZTO Express (Cayman) during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. 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 acquiring an additional 769 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in ZTO Express (Cayman) by 156.2% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,489 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $62,000 after acquiring an additional 2,127 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in ZTO Express (Cayman) by 74.3% during the third quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 3,668 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $70,000 after purchasing an additional 1,563 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors 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.