ZTO Express (Cayman) Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:ZTO)

ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE:ZTO) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Traders purchased 19,202 call options on the company. This is an increase of 2,423% compared to the average volume of 761 call options.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ZTO Express (Cayman)

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Pzena Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) by 4.9% in the 3rd 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 last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its holdings in ZTO Express (Cayman) by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 5,459,308 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $114,045,000 after purchasing an additional 69,529 shares during the last quarter. Todd Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in ZTO Express (Cayman) by 17.8% during the fourth quarter. Todd Asset Management LLC now owns 1,697,019 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $35,451,000 after purchasing an additional 257,021 shares during the last quarter. Capitolis Liquid Global Markets LLC purchased a new stake in ZTO Express (Cayman) during the third quarter valued at about $25,672,000. Finally, Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky lifted its holdings in ZTO Express (Cayman) by 20.3% during the fourth quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 1,077,250 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $22,504,000 after purchasing an additional 181,600 shares during the last quarter. 41.65% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 21st. Zacks Research downgraded shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in a report on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Macquarie Infrastructure raised shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Sunday, February 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, ZTO Express (Cayman) has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $22.36.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:ZTO traded down $0.12 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $24.84. The company had a trading volume of 549,714 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,070,421. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $24.05 and its 200 day moving average price is $21.54. The stock has a market cap of $14.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of -0.17. ZTO Express has a 52-week low of $16.34 and a 52-week high of $26.20.

ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Saturday, February 14th. The transportation company reported $0.47 earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of $2.07 billion for the quarter. ZTO Express (Cayman) had a net margin of 18.50% and a return on equity of 14.05%. Research analysts forecast that ZTO Express will post 1.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 29th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 8th will be issued a $0.39 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 305.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 8th. ZTO Express (Cayman)’s payout ratio is 36.71%.

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.