Seek Returns

ODFL vs. ZTO: Old Dominion Freight Line vs. ZTO Express (Cayman) Stock Comparison

How do Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) and ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) and ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) both fall under the Transportation industry group, but ODFL is classified in Ground Transportation while ZTO is classified in Air Freight & Logistics.

Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) trades as ordinary local shares, while ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Company profile comparison for Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) and ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO)
Profile ItemODFLZTO
NameOld Dominion Freight Line, Inc.ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. ADR
Country/RegionUnited StatesChina
GICS SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
GICS Industry GroupTransportationTransportation
GICS IndustryGround TransportationAir Freight & Logistics
GICS Sub-IndustryCargo Ground TransportationAir Freight & Logistics
Market Capitalization33.98 billion USD15.53 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNasdaqNYSE
Listing DateOctober 24, 1991October 27, 2016
Security TypeCommon StockADR

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ODFL
ZTO
GSPC
Loading price history…
Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) vs. ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

Loading price history…
Trailing total returns for Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) and ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

Loading price history…
Calendar-year total returns for Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) and ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) and ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO)
MetricODFLZTO
Total Return (1Y)22.71%11.22%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)-3.43%-1.86%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)-0.10%-3.82%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ODFL
ZTO
GSPC
Loading price history…
Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) vs. ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

Loading price history…
Distribution of monthly total returns for Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) and ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) reports a negative beta of -0.18, suggesting inverse market sensitivity over the measurement window. That is uncommon for ordinary equities and can reflect commodity-linked or hedge-like exposure, but it can also come from statistical noise. Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) has a non-negative beta of 1.14.

Risk profile metrics for Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) and ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO)
MetricODFLZTO
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)38.79%24.57%
Beta (5Y)1.14-0.18
Max Drawdown (5Y)-45.18%-49.55%
Avg. Volume (3M)1.83M2.26M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Loading chart…
ODFL and ZTO are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) and ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO)
MetricODFLZTO
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.480.28
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.700.40

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) at 26.01% sits in the top ROE quartile, while ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) at 16.28% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for ODFL.

ODFL

Transportation industry group

26.01%

Max
45.08%
ODFL
26.01%
Q3
22.02%
Median
13.94%
Q1
2.89%
Min
-10.45%

ZTO

Transportation industry group

16.28%

Max
45.08%
Q3
22.02%
ZTO
16.28%
Median
13.94%
Q1
2.89%
Min
-10.45%
Loading chart…
Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) vs. ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO): A comparison of their ROE against the Transportation industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) at 20.08% and ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) at 19.04% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.

ODFL

Transportation industry group

20.08%

Max
50.36%
Q3
21.18%
ODFL
20.08%
Median
5.58%
Q1
1.55%
Min
-11.37%

ZTO

Transportation industry group

19.04%

Max
50.36%
Q3
21.18%
ZTO
19.04%
Median
5.58%
Q1
1.55%
Min
-11.37%
Loading chart…
Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) vs. ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO): A comparison of their net margin against the Transportation industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) at 28.52% and ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) at 22.19% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.

ODFL

Transportation industry group

28.52%

Max
59.18%
Q3
29.30%
ODFL
28.52%
Median
11.50%
Q1
4.62%
Min
-8.91%

ZTO

Transportation industry group

22.19%

Max
59.18%
Q3
29.30%
ZTO
22.19%
Median
11.50%
Q1
4.62%
Min
-8.91%
Loading chart…
Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) vs. ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO): A comparison of their operating margin against the Transportation industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) and ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO)
MetricODFLZTO
ROE (TTM)26.01%16.28%
ROA (TTM)16.59%7.38%
Net Margin (TTM)20.08%19.04%
Operating Margin (TTM)28.52%22.19%
Gross Margin (TTM)39.88%25.10%

Growth

Revenue Growth

ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) at 10.88% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) at -5.48% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in revenue momentum.

Loading chart…
Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) vs. ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) at -11.68% and ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) at 4.58% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Loading chart…
Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) vs. ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) and ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO)
MetricODFLZTO
Revenue Growth (YoY)-5.48%10.88%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)-4.24%11.54%
EPS Growth (YoY)-11.68%4.58%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)-7.37%10.21%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) at 2.04 and ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) at 1.67 post current ratio above their industries’ typical mid-ranges — short-term liquidity appears comfortable, though unusually high readings can point to idle current assets.

ODFL

Transportation industry group

2.04

Max
2.58
ODFL
2.04
Q3
1.62
Median
1.16
Q1
0.78
Min
0.22

ZTO

Transportation industry group

1.67

Max
2.58
ZTO
1.67
Q3
1.62
Median
1.16
Q1
0.78
Min
0.22
Loading chart…
Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) vs. ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO): A comparison of their current ratio against the Transportation industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) at 0.00 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) at 0.35 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.

ODFL

Transportation industry group

0.00

Max
2.75
Q3
1.37
Median
0.78
Q1
0.35
ODFL
0.00
Min
0.00

ZTO

Transportation industry group

0.35

Max
2.75
Q3
1.37
Median
0.78
ZTO
0.35
Q1
0.35
Min
0.00
Loading chart…
Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) vs. ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Transportation industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) and ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO)
MetricODFLZTO
Current Ratio (MRQ)2.041.67
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.000.35
Net Debt / EBITDA-0.24-0.62

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) at 0.67% pays an industry-typical yield; ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) at 12.89% is above its entire peer range — the higher number, but one that calls for a look at payout sustainability before treating it as an advantage.

ODFL

Transportation industry group

0.67%

Max
4.68%
Q3
1.99%
Median
0.74%
ODFL
0.67%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

ZTO

Transportation industry group

12.89%

ZTO
12.89%
Max
4.68%
Q3
1.99%
Median
0.74%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
Loading chart…
Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) vs. ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Transportation industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) at 20.65% and ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) at 38.36% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.

ODFL

Transportation industry group

20.65%

Max
100.89%
Q3
41.68%
ODFL
20.65%
Median
20.43%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

ZTO

Transportation industry group

38.36%

Max
100.89%
Q3
41.68%
ZTO
38.36%
Median
20.43%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
Loading chart…
Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) vs. ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Transportation industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) and ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO)
MetricODFLZTO
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.67%12.89%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)20.65%38.36%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) at 29.61 and ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) at 11.37 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

ODFL

Transportation industry group

29.61

Max
46.76
Q3
30.87
ODFL
29.61
Median
20.58
Q1
10.44
Min
0.00

ZTO

Transportation industry group

11.37

Max
46.76
Q3
30.87
Median
20.58
ZTO
11.37
Q1
10.44
Min
0.00
Loading chart…
Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) vs. ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Transportation industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) at 0.29 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) at 5.87 prices above its industry range — a wide gap in sales valuation between them.

ODFL

Transportation industry group

5.87

ODFL
5.87
Max
4.35
Q3
2.07
Median
0.93
Q1
0.53
Min
0.04

ZTO

Transportation industry group

0.29

Max
4.35
Q3
2.07
Median
0.93
Q1
0.53
ZTO
0.29
Min
0.04
Loading chart…
Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) vs. ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Transportation industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) at 1.66 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) at 7.29 prices above its benchmark range — ODFL looks rich relative to book.

ODFL

Transportation industry group

7.29

ODFL
7.29
Max
6.29
Q3
3.39
Median
1.90
Q1
1.03
Min
-2.07

ZTO

Transportation industry group

1.66

Max
6.29
Q3
3.39
Median
1.90
ZTO
1.66
Q1
1.03
Min
-2.07
Loading chart…
Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) vs. ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Transportation industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) and ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO)
MetricODFLZTO
P/E Ratio (TTM)29.6111.37
P/S Ratio (TTM)5.870.29
P/B Ratio (MRQ)7.291.66
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)2.93%41.42%