Ryanair (NASDAQ:RYAAY) Hits New 1-Year Low – Here’s What Happened

Ryanair Holdings PLC (NASDAQ:RYAAY)’s share price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $53.02 and last traded at $52.9650, with a volume of 816777 shares. The stock had previously closed at $54.25.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. Zacks Research downgraded Ryanair from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Ryanair in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Ryanair in a research note on Friday, August 14th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $62.90 price target for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Ryanair in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Ryanair from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Friday, September 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $73.97.

Ryanair Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $27.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.75, a PEG ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.16. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $59.23 and its 200-day moving average price is $59.85.

Ryanair (NASDAQ:RYAAY) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 17th. The transportation company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.37 by ($0.18). The business had revenue of $5 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.06 billion. Ryanair had a return on equity of 21.23% and a net margin of 12.14%. On average, research analysts predict that Ryanair Holdings PLC will post 3.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ryanair Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a special dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 7th will be paid a dividend of $0.4434 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 7th. Ryanair’s payout ratio is currently 24.52%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ryanair

In related news, insider John Hurley sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.24, for a total transaction of $468,600.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 76,025 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,375,021. The trade was a 16.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ryanair

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in RYAAY. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its position in shares of Ryanair by 280.6% in the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 472 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 348 shares during the period. Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Ryanair by 76.0% during the 3rd quarter. Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 484 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 209 shares during the period. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Ryanair by 2,929.4% during the 4th quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 515 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 498 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its stake in Ryanair by 39.4% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 584 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc grew its stake in Ryanair by 48.1% in the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 665 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 43.65% of the company’s stock.

About Ryanair

Ryanair Holdings plc is an Irish airline group that operates low-cost, scheduled passenger services primarily across Europe. Through its operating airlines, including Ryanair, Ryanair UK, Malta Air, Buzz and Lauda, the group connects a broad network of destinations with a focus on affordable fares, high aircraft utilization and short-haul travel.

The company serves markets throughout the United Kingdom and continental Europe, as well as selected destinations in North Africa and the Middle East.