UPS vs LSTR vs ZTO Stock Comparison

United Parcel Service, Landstar System and ZTO Express (Cayman) Prices as of Oct 28, 2026 Peers: Industry group
UPS United Parcel Service Inc
$105.61 +12.0% 1M +9.6% 1Y
Market cap
$79.14B
P/E
19.7x
Revenue (TTM)
$89.93B
Div. yield
6.21%
Parcel Delivery Industrials
3 wins
LSTR Landstar System Inc
$138.80 -16.1% 1M +7.3% 1Y
Market cap
$4.68B
P/E
29.3x
Revenue (TTM)
$5.29B
Div. yield
2.62%
Logistics Industrials
3 wins

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

ZTO Express (Cayman) leads on 6 of the 12 questions below (ZTO Express (Cayman) 6, United Parcel Service 3, Landstar System 3). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionUPSLSTRZTOLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $79.14B $4.68B $15.65B UPS
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 19.7x 29.3x 10.6x ZTO
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 15.6x 22.6x 10.3x ZTO
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months -0.4% +10.7% +21.2% ZTO
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 5.1% 3.0% 19.0% ZTO
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 12.9% 17.9% 15.0% LSTR
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 1.9x -1.1x — LSTR
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 6.21% 2.62% 1.97% UPS
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +9.6% +7.3% +3.0% UPS
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -13.1%/yr -4.6%/yr -7.6%/yr LSTR
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 30.1% 40.3% 24.3% ZTO
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 44/100 51/100 67/100 ZTO

Percentile Scorecard

UPSLSTRZTO

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisUPSLSTRZTO
Valuation 43 #78 of 136 27 #100 of 136 73 #38 of 136
Growth 22 #96 of 122 25 #92 of 122 78 #28 of 122
Profitability 70 #36 of 116 57 #51 of 116 73 #32 of 116
Financial Health 34 #95 of 143 86 #21 of 143 83 #25 of 143
Shareholder Returns 54 #38 of 81 63 #31 of 81 30 #57 of 81
Overall 44 51 67
  • UPS ranked among 150 companies in Transportation
  • LSTR ranked among 150 companies in Transportation
  • ZTO ranked among 150 companies in Transportation

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodUPSLSTRZTOSPY
1 month +12.0%-16.1%+0.7% +0.9%
3 months +1.0%-21.9%-17.2% +5.9%
6 months -0.9%-24.8%-22.0% +8.5%
Year to date +6.5%-3.4%-5.3% +13.3%
1 year +9.6%+7.3%+3.0% +12.4%
3 years -21.7%-14.7%-16.0% +88.1%
3 years, per year -7.8%-5.1%-5.6% +23.5%
5 years -50.5%-21.1%-32.5% +68.2%
5 years, per year -13.1%-4.6%-7.6% +11.0%
10 years -1.9%+96.9%+16.5% +263.4%
10 years, per year -0.2%+7.0%+1.5% +13.8%

Risk

MeasureUPSLSTRZTOSPY
Volatility, 1Y 30.1%40.3%24.3% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 33.4%46.5%25.2% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.720.680.09 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 0.320.180.12 0.98
Max drawdown, 5Y -64.4%-41.2%-50.7% -25.4%
From 52-week high -12.0%-38.4%-23.5% -0.9%
52-week high $120.00$225.37$25.88 $779.14
52-week low $90.87$121.51$18.59 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleUPSLSTRZTO
P/E now vs peer median 19.7xmedian 16.1x 29.3xmedian 16.1x 10.6xmedian 16.1x
P/S now vs peer median 0.9xmedian 0.9x 0.9xmedian 0.9x 2.0xmedian 0.9x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 9.5xmedian 8.6x 17.2xmedian 8.6x —median 8.6x
P/FCF now vs peer median 14.5xmedian 11.6x 29.7xmedian 11.6x 7.3xmedian 11.6x
P/B now vs peer median 5.2xmedian 1.2x 5.6xmedian 1.2x 1.7xmedian 1.2x
PEG now vs peer median -0.87median 0.80 -1.71median 0.80 1.33median 0.80

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsUPSLSTRZTO
Revenue $89.93B $5.29B $7.81B
Gross profit – – $1.96B
Operating income $6.58B $214.56M $1.64B
Net income $4.57B $160.38M $1.51B
Free cash flow $5.46B $157.62M $2.13B
EPS (diluted) $5.37 $4.73 $1.81
Cash & equivalents $4.65B $297.32M $1.46B
Total debt $24.48B $68.71M $1.72B
Shares (diluted) 851.00M 33.87M 820.80M
Enterprise value $56.06B $3.12B -$586.56M

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricUPSLSTRZTO
P/E 19.7x 29.3x 10.6x
P/FCF 14.5x 29.7x 7.3x
P/Operating cash flow 8.9x 27.3x 7.3x
P/S 0.9x 0.9x 2.0x
P/B 5.2x 5.6x 1.7x
P/Tangible book 7.1x 5.6x 1.9x
EV/EBITDA 9.5x 17.2x –
EV/EBIT 15.1x 20.5x 7.8x
EV/Revenue 1.1x 0.8x 1.6x
EV/FCF 18.1x 27.9x 6.0x
EV/Operating cash flow 11.2x 25.6x 6.0x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) -0.87 -1.71 1.33

Growth

14 metrics
MetricUPSLSTRZTO
Revenue growth (1Y) -0.4% 10.7% 21.2%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) -2.2% -2.9% 13.5%
Gross profit growth (1Y) – – 10.7%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) – – 7.7%
Operating income growth (1Y) -21.7% 19.3% 5.4%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) -17.3% -18.3% 6.8%
Net income growth (1Y) -20.2% 16.8% 22.6%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -23.0% -18.8% 8.9%
EPS growth (1Y) -20.6% 19.3% 25.2%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -22.7% -17.2% 8.0%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 18.6% -19.6% 46.4%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) -8.0% -29.5% 4.6%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 54.2% -20.7% 46.4%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -4.2% -30.5% 4.6%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricUPSLSTRZTO
Gross margin – – 25.1%
EBITDA margin 11.6% 4.8% –
Operating margin 7.3% 4.1% 21.0%
Pretax margin 6.5% 4.0% 27.7%
Net margin 5.1% 3.0% 19.0%
FCF margin 6.1% 3.0% 27.3%
Operating cash flow margin 9.9% 3.2% 27.3%
Return on equity 29.6% 19.2% 16.3%
Return on assets 6.4% 9.0% 10.5%
Return on invested capital 12.9% 17.9% 15.0%
Return on capital employed 11.6% 21.3% 15.1%
Asset turnover 1.3x 3.0x 0.5x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 1.9x 1.1x 1.4x
Stock comp / revenue 0.1% 0.2% –

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricUPSLSTRZTO
Debt / assets 34.4% 3.8% 11.8%
Debt / equity 1.6x 0.1x 0.2x
Net debt / EBITDA 1.9x -1.1x –
Debt / FCF 4.5x 0.4x 0.8x
Liabilities / assets 78.8% 54.1% 35.5%
Equity / assets 21.2% 45.9% 64.5%
Interest coverage 6.0x 111.1x 56.1x
Current ratio 1.2x 1.8x 1.7x
Quick ratio 1.0x 1.7x 1.4x
Cash ratio 0.3x 0.5x 1.3x
Altman Z-score 2.83 8.87 3.53

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricUPSLSTRZTO
Dividend yield 6.2% 2.6% 2.0%
Net buyback yield -0.1% 2.2% –
Shareholder yield 6.1% 4.8% 2.0%
Payout ratio (earnings) – – –
Payout ratio (FCF) – – –
Dividend growth (1Y) – – –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – – –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusUPSLSTRZTO
Forward P/E 15.6xFY2026 22.6xFY2026 10.3xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $6.75FY2026 $6.15FY2026 $1.92FY2026
EPS growth, next FY -5.7%FY2026 +85.8%FY2026 +20.0%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +26.7% +27.8% +13.0%
Revenue, next fiscal year $87.80BFY2026 $5.45BFY2026 $8.91BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY -1.0%FY2026 +15.1%FY2026 +26.9%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +14.6% +17.6% +12.2%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersUPSLSTRZTO
Held by institutions 70.9% 100.0% 7.4%
Institutions holding 2,138 543 194
Change in shares held, QoQ +6.0% -2.8% +1.8%
Institutions buying 1,089 296 100
Institutions selling 809 153 64
Buyers to sellers 1.35 1.93 1.56

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

UPSLSTRZTO
UPS 1.00 0.35 0.14
LSTR 0.35 1.00 0.12
ZTO 0.14 0.12 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, UPS, LSTR and ZTO?

United Parcel Service (UPS) is the largest by market capitalisation: United Parcel Service (UPS) $79.14B, Landstar System (LSTR) $4.68B, ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) $15.65B.

Which stock is cheaper, UPS, LSTR and ZTO?

ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (United Parcel Service (UPS) 19.7x, Landstar System (LSTR) 29.3x, ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) 10.6x). On next year's consensus earnings, ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) is cheapest (United Parcel Service (UPS) 15.6x, Landstar System (LSTR) 22.6x, ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) 10.3x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: United Parcel Service (UPS) -0.4%, Landstar System (LSTR) +10.7%, ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) +21.2%.

Which company is more profitable?

ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) has the highest net margin (United Parcel Service (UPS) 5.1%, Landstar System (LSTR) 3.0%, ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) 19.0%). On return on invested capital, Landstar System (LSTR) leads (United Parcel Service (UPS) 12.9%, Landstar System (LSTR) 17.9%, ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) 15.0%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year United Parcel Service (UPS) returned the most: United Parcel Service (UPS) +9.6%, Landstar System (LSTR) +7.3%, ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) +3.0%. Over five years, Landstar System (LSTR) compounded fastest (United Parcel Service (UPS) -13.1%/yr, Landstar System (LSTR) -4.6%/yr, ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) -7.6%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

United Parcel Service (UPS) has the highest dividend yield: United Parcel Service (UPS) 6.21%, Landstar System (LSTR) 2.62%, ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) 1.97%.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) has been the steadiest (United Parcel Service (UPS) 30.1%, Landstar System (LSTR) 40.3%, ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) 24.3%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, UPS, LSTR and ZTO?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, ZTO Express (Cayman) (ZTO) leads on 6. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.