ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

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

ZTO Express (Cayman) Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ZTO opened at $25.12 on Monday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $24.42 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $21.81. ZTO Express has a one year low of $16.68 and a one year high of $26.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.16 billion, a PE ratio of 15.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of -0.17.

ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Saturday, February 14th. The transportation company reported $0.47 earnings per share for the quarter. The company 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%. On average, analysts anticipate that ZTO Express will post 1.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Announces Dividend

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ZTO Express (Cayman)

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Leonteq Securities AG bought a new stake in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in ZTO Express (Cayman) in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in ZTO Express (Cayman) by 61.4% during the second 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 during the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Corp bought a new stake in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) during the third quarter worth approximately $40,000. 41.65% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.