ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) Reaches New 1-Year High Following Strong Earnings

Shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE:ZTO) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as high as $26.20 and last traded at $25.5440, with a volume of 701066 shares. The stock had previously closed at $23.73.

The transportation company reported $0.47 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.03. ZTO Express (Cayman) had a return on equity of 14.33% and a net margin of 18.61%.The firm had revenue of $2.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.99 billion. ZTO Express (Cayman)’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on ZTO. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Macquarie Infrastructure upgraded shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, February 8th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $22.36.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) by 22.5% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,693 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 494 shares in the last quarter. Ethic Inc. grew its stake in ZTO Express (Cayman) by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 15,943 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $333,000 after acquiring an additional 569 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in ZTO Express (Cayman) by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 137,761 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,645,000 after acquiring an additional 686 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its position in ZTO Express (Cayman) by 42.2% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,341 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 695 shares during the last quarter. Finally, U S Global Investors Inc. raised its position in ZTO Express (Cayman) by 5.1% during the third quarter. U S Global Investors Inc. now owns 14,764 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $283,000 after acquiring an additional 716 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 41.65% of the company’s stock.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Stock Up 7.7%

The company has a market cap of $15.07 billion, a PE ratio of 16.92, a P/E/G ratio of 4.31 and a beta of -0.20. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $23.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $20.95.

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.