Ryanair Holdings PLC $RYAAY Position Boosted by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company

Key Points

• Institutional ownership increased: The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its Ryanair stake by 5.7% to 755,526 shares, while other major funds also added positions. Institutional investors now own 43.65% of the company.
• Quarterly results fell short of expectations: Ryanair reported EPS of $1.19 versus the $1.37 consensus estimate and revenue of $5 billion compared with $5.06 billion expected. Shares opened at $53.80, near the company’s 12-month low.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive: Ryanair has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $73.97, while the company declared a special dividend of $0.4434 per share.

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its holdings in Ryanair Holdings PLC (NASDAQ:RYAAY - Free Report) by 5.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 755,526 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 40,648 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned about 0.15% of Ryanair worth $48,920,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in Ryanair by 645,657.4% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,789,672 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $201,386,000 after purchasing an additional 2,789,240 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its position in Ryanair by 6.6% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 39,929,929 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $2,884,834,000 after buying an additional 2,464,742 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in Ryanair by 58.0% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,895,021 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $281,182,000 after buying an additional 1,429,666 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Ryanair in the fourth quarter valued at $91,970,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its holdings in shares of Ryanair by 15.6% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 7,304,889 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $527,341,000 after buying an additional 985,939 shares in the last quarter. 43.65% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ryanair

In other news, insider John Hurley sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.24, for a total transaction of $468,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 76,025 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,375,021. This represents a 16.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Ryanair Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of RYAAY opened at $53.80 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $27.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.53 and a beta of 1.16. The company's fifty day moving average is $58.75 and its 200-day moving average is $59.73. Ryanair Holdings PLC has a 12 month low of $52.89 and a 12 month high of $74.24.

Ryanair (NASDAQ:RYAAY - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 17th. The transportation company reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.37 by ($0.18). The business 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%. As a group, research analysts predict that Ryanair Holdings PLC will post 3.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ryanair Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a special dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 7th will be given a $0.4434 dividend. Ryanair's dividend payout ratio is currently 24.52%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Ryanair in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Weiss Ratings cut Ryanair from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Friday, September 4th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Ryanair in a research note on Friday, August 14th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $62.90 target price on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Ryanair in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Ryanair in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, two have assigned 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 an average target price of $73.97.

Ryanair Profile

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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