ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE:ZTO) Short Interest Up 19.4% in February

ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE:ZTO) saw a significant increase in short interest during the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 20,706,340 shares, an increase of 19.4% from the February 12th total of 17,340,651 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,382,681 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 8.7 days. Approximately 6.0% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Approximately 6.0% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,382,681 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 8.7 days.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Price Performance

Shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) stock traded up $1.82 on Wednesday, reaching $25.55. The company had a trading volume of 2,692,765 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,127,517. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $23.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $20.95. ZTO Express has a 1 year low of $16.34 and a 1 year high of $26.20. The firm has a market cap of $15.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.91, a P/E/G ratio of 4.31 and a beta of -0.20.

ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 17th. The transportation company reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.44 by $0.03. ZTO Express (Cayman) had a net margin of 18.61% and a return on equity of 14.33%. The company had revenue of $2.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.99 billion. ZTO Express (Cayman)’s revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that ZTO Express will post 1.57 EPS for the current year.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared 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. This represents a yield of 305.0%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 8th. ZTO Express (Cayman)’s dividend payout ratio is presently 38.41%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have issued reports on ZTO shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 21st. Macquarie Infrastructure raised shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Sunday, February 8th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in a research note on Monday, December 29th. 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 investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, ZTO Express (Cayman) currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $22.36.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new position in ZTO Express (Cayman) during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in ZTO Express (Cayman) during the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position 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 acquiring an additional 769 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Corp bought a new position in ZTO Express (Cayman) in the 3rd quarter valued at $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 41.65% of the company’s stock.

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.