Why Is ZTO Express Cayman (ZTO) Up 13% Since Last Earnings Report?

Core Insights - ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. shares have increased by approximately 13% since the last earnings report, outperforming the S&P 500 [1] Recent Earnings Report - For Q3 2025, ZTO Express reported earnings of 43 cents per share, an improvement from the previous year, with total revenues reaching $1.66 billion, also up year over year [3] - The company has revised its 2025 parcel volume guidance down to 38.2 billion to 38.7 billion, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 12.3-13.8%, compared to the previous guidance of 38.8 billion to 40.1 billion, which indicated a growth of 14-18% [3] Operational Performance - Revenue from the core express delivery business increased by 11.6% year over year, driven by a 9.8% growth in parcel volume and a 1.7% increase in parcel unit price [4] - Key account revenues surged by 141.2% year over year due to an increase in e-commerce return parcels [4] - Revenue from freight forwarding services declined by 7.4% year over year [4] Financial Metrics - Revenue from accessory sales, primarily digital thermal paper waybills, rose by 0.5% year over year [5] - Gross profit decreased by 11.4% from the previous year, with the gross margin rate falling to 24.9% from 31.2% [5] - Total operating expenses were RMB550.9 million (approximately $77.4 million), up from RMB493.0 million in the prior year [5] Share Repurchase Program - ZTO's board approved a share repurchase program with an increased aggregate value of $2.0 billion, effective through June 30, 2026 [6] - As of September 30, 2025, ZTO had repurchased 52,919,506 ADSs for $1.3 billion, leaving $0.7 billion available under the program [6] Cash Position - At the end of Q3 2025, ZTO Express had cash and cash equivalents of $1.31 billion, down from $1.85 billion at the end of the previous quarter [7] Analyst Sentiment - Analysts have not made any earnings estimate revisions in the last two months [8] VGM Scores - ZTO Express has a subpar Growth Score of D, a strong Momentum Score of A, and a Value Score of B, resulting in an aggregate VGM Score of C [9] Outlook - ZTO Express holds a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), indicating expectations for above-average returns in the coming months [10]