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

ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE:ZTO) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Tuesday. Stock traders bought 19,202 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 2,423% compared to the average volume of 761 call options.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) stock traded down $0.12 on Tuesday, reaching $24.84. The stock had a trading volume of 549,714 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,070,421. ZTO Express has a 1 year low of $16.34 and a 1 year high of $26.20. The company has a market cap of $14.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of -0.17. The business’s 50 day moving average is $24.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $21.54.

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

ZTO Express (Cayman) Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 29th. Stockholders 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 dividend payout ratio is presently 36.71%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ZTO Express (Cayman)

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Corient Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in the fourth quarter worth about $221,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its holdings in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) by 93.9% in the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 249,469 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $5,211,000 after buying an additional 120,835 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in the fourth quarter worth about $42,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) by 32.4% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 197,679 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $4,130,000 after buying an additional 48,363 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vident Advisory LLC increased its position in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 55,995 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,170,000 after purchasing an additional 1,786 shares during the last quarter. 41.65% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ZTO has been the topic of several recent research reports. 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. Macquarie Infrastructure raised shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Sunday, February 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 21st. One equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $22.36.

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.