ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) Lowered to Hold Rating by Zacks Research

ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on ZTO. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 27th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $22.36.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Price Performance

ZTO Express (Cayman) stock opened at $21.73 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $12.81 billion, a PE ratio of 14.39, a P/E/G ratio of 4.02 and a beta of -0.21. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $20.41 and its two-hundred day moving average is $19.49. ZTO Express has a 1-year low of $16.34 and a 1-year high of $22.08.

ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 20th. The transportation company reported $0.43 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.51 by ($2.08). ZTO Express (Cayman) had a net margin of 18.61% and a return on equity of 14.33%. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.90 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that ZTO Express will post 1.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ZTO Express (Cayman)

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ZTO. Capitolis Liquid Global Markets LLC purchased a new stake in ZTO Express (Cayman) in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,672,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp acquired a new position in ZTO Express (Cayman) in the second quarter valued at $12,604,000. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. raised its holdings in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) by 2,573.3% in the third quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 612,738 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $11,765,000 after buying an additional 589,817 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) during the second quarter worth about $7,446,000. Finally, Pzena Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) by 4.9% during the third quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 7,999,407 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $153,589,000 after buying an additional 376,179 shares during the period. 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.