ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) Cut to “Neutral” at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a report published on Thursday morning, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage currently has $22.00 target price on the transportation company’s stock, down from their prior target price of $29.00.

A number of other research firms have also commented on ZTO. Zacks Research lowered shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Weiss Ratings downgraded ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Monday, August 31st. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $30.10 price objective on shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, ZTO Express (Cayman) has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $26.05.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Price Performance

ZTO stock opened at $20.99 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $22.98 and a 200-day moving average of $23.62. The company has a current ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. ZTO Express has a 12 month low of $18.11 and a 12 month high of $26.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.82 and a beta of -0.24.

ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 18th. The transportation company reported $0.56 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.06. ZTO Express (Cayman) had a net margin of 19.03% and a return on equity of 15.90%. The company had revenue of $2.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.15 billion. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 23.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that ZTO Express will post 1.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Leonteq Securities AG bought a new position in ZTO Express (Cayman) during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in ZTO Express (Cayman) in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in ZTO Express (Cayman) by 61.4% in the second quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,021 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 769 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) by 156.2% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,489 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $62,000 after purchasing an additional 2,127 shares during the period. 41.65% of the stock is owned by 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.