26,867 Ryanair Holdings PLC $RYAAY Shares Sold by QRG Capital Management Inc.

Key Points

• QRG Capital Management reduced its Ryanair stake by 38.2% in the second quarter, selling 26,867 shares and retaining 43,397 shares valued at approximately $2.81 million. Institutional investors collectively own 43.65% of the company.
• Ryanair reported quarterly EPS of $1.19, below the $1.37 analyst consensus, while revenue reached $5 billion versus expectations of $5.06 billion. The company also declared a special dividend of $0.4434 per share.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $73.97 price target, despite the stock trading at $55.30 and recently posting below-estimate earnings.

QRG Capital Management Inc. lessened its stake in Ryanair Holdings PLC (NASDAQ:RYAAY - Free Report) by 38.2% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 43,397 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 26,867 shares during the quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Ryanair were worth $2,810,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Capital International Investors boosted its position in Ryanair by 6.6% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 39,929,929 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $2,884,834,000 after purchasing an additional 2,464,742 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Ryanair in the fourth quarter worth $91,970,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ryanair during the fourth quarter valued at about $61,151,000. Sei Investments Co. raised its stake in shares of Ryanair by 34.3% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 2,172,317 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $125,560,000 after purchasing an additional 555,029 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Milford Funds Ltd. acquired a new stake in Ryanair in the fourth quarter worth about $39,379,000. Institutional investors own 43.65% of the company's stock.

Ryanair Stock Up 2.3%

NASDAQ:RYAAY opened at $55.30 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $56.50 and a 200-day moving average of $58.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $28.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.29, a P/E/G ratio of 4.33 and a beta of 1.16. Ryanair Holdings PLC has a twelve month low of $51.68 and a twelve month high of $74.24.

Ryanair (NASDAQ:RYAAY - Get Free Report) last announced 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 firm had revenue of $5 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.06 billion. Ryanair had a net margin of 12.14% and a return on equity of 21.23%. On average, analysts anticipate that Ryanair Holdings PLC will post 3.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ryanair Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 28th. Investors of record on Friday, August 7th will be issued a $0.4434 dividend. Ryanair's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.37%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Ryanair in a research report on Friday, August 14th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $62.90 price objective for the company. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Ryanair in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Raymond James Financial restated a "strong-buy" rating and set a $74.00 price objective on shares of Ryanair in a report on Monday, August 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Ryanair in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Ryanair from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, September 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $73.97.

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.

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