Core Viewpoint - ZTO Express is set to report its first-quarter 2025 results on May 20, with earnings expected to be flat at 47 cents per share and revenues projected to rise by 21% year over year to $1.67 billion [1] Group 1: Earnings Expectations - High operating expenses are anticipated to negatively impact the company's bottom-line performance, although top-line growth is expected to be driven by strong parcel volumes [2] - ZTO Express has updated its 2025 parcel volume guidance to a range of 40.8 billion to 42.2 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 20-24% [3] - The ongoing trade war between the United States and China is expected to influence the results for the upcoming quarter [3][4] Group 2: Previous Performance - In the fourth quarter of 2024, ZTO Express reported mixed results, with earnings of 44 cents per share falling short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 46 cents, while total revenues of $1.77 billion exceeded the estimate of $1.65 billion [7]

Core Insights - ZTO Express is set to report its fourth-quarter 2024 results on March 18, with earnings per share (EPS) estimates remaining flat at 47 cents and revenue expectations at $1.66 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 10.8% [1][2] Financial Performance Expectations - High operating expenses are anticipated to negatively impact the company's bottom line, although top-line growth is expected to be driven by strong parcel volumes, particularly in the express delivery services unit [3] - The company has revised its 2024 parcel volume guidance to a range of 33.7 billion to 33.9 billion, indicating a year-over-year increase of 11.6% to 12.3%, down from a previous estimate of 34.73 billion to 35.64 billion [4] Revenue Insights - Revenues from the freight forwarding services unit are expected to be adversely affected by weak freight demand, with an update on the ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China anticipated during the fourth-quarter conference call [5] Earnings Prediction Model - The current model does not predict an earnings beat for ZTO Express, as it has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank of 3, indicating a hold position [6][7]