Ryanair (NASDAQ:RYAAY) Shares Gap Up Following Strong Earnings

Shares of Ryanair Holdings plc (NASDAQ:RYAAY) gapped up before the market opened on Monday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $46.14, but opened at $47.26. Ryanair shares last traded at $47.17, with a volume of 479,906 shares traded.

The transportation company reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.05 by $0.24. Ryanair had a net margin of 11.38% and a return on equity of 19.92%.

Ryanair Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a — dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 17th will be issued a $0.4677 dividend. This represents a yield of 4.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 17th. Ryanair’s dividend payout ratio is presently 33.33%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. UBS Group upgraded shares of Ryanair from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. StockNews.com upgraded Ryanair from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 14th. Finally, Barclays raised shares of Ryanair from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and three have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $151.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ryanair

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its stake in Ryanair by 188.4% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 27,263,436 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,231,762,000 after acquiring an additional 17,810,361 shares in the last quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Ryanair by 175.7% in the 3rd quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. now owns 23,548,902 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,063,939,000 after purchasing an additional 15,008,023 shares during the period. FMR LLC lifted its position in shares of Ryanair by 35.3% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 8,734,646 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $394,631,000 after purchasing an additional 2,279,679 shares in the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC lifted its position in shares of Ryanair by 169.7% in the third quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 6,305,368 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $284,893,000 after purchasing an additional 3,967,436 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Metropolis Capital Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Ryanair by 14.7% during the fourth quarter. Metropolis Capital Ltd now owns 4,593,130 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $200,215,000 after purchasing an additional 587,023 shares during the period. 43.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ryanair Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.98 billion, a PE ratio of 15.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 1.50. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $44.13 and its 200 day moving average is $69.71.

About Ryanair

Ryanair Holdings plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides scheduled-passenger airline services in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, and internationally. It is also involved in the provision of various ancillary services, such as non-flight scheduled and Internet-related services, as well as in-flight sale of beverages, food, duty-free, and merchandise; and markets car hire, travel insurance, and accommodation services through its website and mobile app.