Ryanair (NASDAQ:RYAAY) Upgraded by Zacks Research to "Strong-Buy" Rating

Key Points

• Ryanair has been upgraded to a strong-buy rating by Zacks Research, marking a positive shift from its previous "hold" rating.
• The company reported earnings of $1.74 per share for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' estimates of $1.49 and showcasing a revenue of $5.07 billion, significantly higher than the expected $4.16 billion.
• A total of three research analysts have rated the stock as strong buy, while six others provided a "buy" rating, contributing to a consensus rating of "buy" with an average target price of $111.50.

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Ryanair (NASDAQ:RYAAY - Free Report) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report released on Tuesday, August 26th,Zacks.com reports.

RYAAY has been the topic of several other research reports. Citigroup restated a "buy" rating on shares of Ryanair in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Ryanair in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. Oddo Bhf upgraded Ryanair from an "underperform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Ryanair in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Ryanair from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, July 26th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and six have assigned a Buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $76.00.

Ryanair Price Performance

NASDAQ RYAAY traded down $2.69 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $60.78. 597,700 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,518,736. The stock has a market cap of $32.23 billion, a PE ratio of 14.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 1.37. Ryanair has a one year low of $38.52 and a one year high of $67.18. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $61.60 and a 200-day moving average of $53.35. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02.

Ryanair (NASDAQ:RYAAY - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, July 21st. The transportation company reported $1.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.25. The company had revenue of $5.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.16 billion. Ryanair had a return on equity of 27.91% and a net margin of 14.42%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Ryanair will post 3.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ryanair Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a special dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 8th will be paid a $0.534 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 12th. This is a positive change from Ryanair's previous special dividend of $0.47. This represents a yield of 120.0%. Ryanair's payout ratio is currently 14.55%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ryanair

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Evelyn Partners Investment Management Services Ltd lifted its stake in Ryanair by 40.4% in the second quarter. Evelyn Partners Investment Management Services Ltd now owns 702 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 202 shares during the period. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. lifted its stake in Ryanair by 2.6% in the first quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 8,094 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $343,000 after buying an additional 206 shares during the period. Benjamin Edwards Inc. lifted its stake in Ryanair by 3.9% in the second quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 5,834 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $336,000 after buying an additional 217 shares during the period. Vident Advisory LLC lifted its stake in Ryanair by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 10,006 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $436,000 after buying an additional 230 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its stake in Ryanair by 0.3% in the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 85,781 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $3,635,000 after buying an additional 240 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 43.66% of the company's stock.

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.