Ryanair (NASDAQ:RYAAY) Rating Lowered to Equal Weight at Barclays

Key Points

• Barclays downgraded Ryanair from “overweight” to “equal weight,” though the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $73.97.
• Ryanair shares opened at $54.04 and are trading near the lower end of their 52-week range of $51.68 to $74.24; the company has a market capitalization of approximately $28.01 billion.
• The airline’s latest quarterly results fell short of expectations, with earnings per share of $1.19 versus the $1.37 consensus estimate and revenue of $5 billion versus $5.06 billion expected.

Ryanair (NASDAQ:RYAAY - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Barclays from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating in a note issued to investors on Friday, Marketbeat reports.

RYAAY has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Ryanair in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Ryanair in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Zacks Research cut Ryanair from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Raymond James Financial restated a "strong-buy" rating and set a $74.00 target price on shares of Ryanair in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Ryanair from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Friday, September 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $73.97.

Ryanair Stock Performance

RYAAY opened at $54.04 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $28.01 billion, a PE ratio of 12.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 1.19. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $55.91 and a 200-day moving average of $58.50. Ryanair has a 52-week low of $51.68 and a 52-week high of $74.24.

Ryanair (NASDAQ:RYAAY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 during 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 will post 3.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ryanair

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in RYAAY. Strategic Investment Advisors MI boosted its position in shares of Ryanair by 4.9% during the first quarter. Strategic Investment Advisors MI now owns 3,965 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $230,000 after buying an additional 184 shares during the last quarter. RFG Advisory LLC increased its holdings in Ryanair by 5.6% in the 2nd quarter. RFG Advisory LLC now owns 3,788 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $245,000 after buying an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc raised its position in Ryanair by 48.1% in the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 665 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC lifted its stake in Ryanair by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC now owns 6,513 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $376,000 after acquiring an additional 237 shares during the period. Finally, Summitry LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ryanair by 5.4% during the 1st quarter. Summitry LLC now owns 4,715 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $273,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. 43.65% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ryanair Company Profile

Ryanair Holdings plc is an Ireland-based airline group that operates low-cost, scheduled passenger services primarily across Europe. Through its operating airlines, including Ryanair DAC, Malta Air, Buzz, Lauda and Ryanair UK, the group provides point-to-point air travel connecting cities and regional airports in Europe and selected destinations in North Africa.

The company's core business is the sale of airline tickets, supported by ancillary services such as priority boarding, reserved seating, checked baggage, onboard food and beverages, travel insurance and car-hire or accommodation-related offerings.

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