Ryanair Holdings PLC (NASDAQ:RYAAY) Short Interest Down 16.0% in January

Ryanair Holdings PLC (NASDAQ:RYAAY) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 1,342,515 shares, a decline of 16.0% from the December 31st total of 1,598,501 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,127,468 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.2 days. Approximately 0.3% of the company’s stock are sold short. Approximately 0.3% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,127,468 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.2 days.

Ryanair Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:RYAAY traded down $0.31 on Wednesday, reaching $70.47. 388,657 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,356,389. Ryanair has a twelve month low of $38.52 and a twelve month high of $74.24. The company has a fifty day moving average of $70.03 and a 200-day moving average of $64.78. The company has a market capitalization of $36.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.16, a PEG ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02.

Ryanair (NASDAQ:RYAAY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 26th. The transportation company reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $3.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.16 billion. Ryanair had a return on equity of 29.76% and a net margin of 15.04%. On average, research analysts predict that Ryanair will post 3.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ryanair Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 4th. Investors of record on Friday, January 16th will be paid a $0.4545 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 16th. Ryanair’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 14.26%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Ryanair in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Ryanair in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $71.00 target price on shares of Ryanair in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Ryanair in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Ryanair in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $73.50.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in RYAAY. USA Financial Formulas acquired a new stake in Ryanair during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC increased its position in shares of Ryanair by 280.6% during the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 472 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 348 shares during the period. Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Ryanair by 76.0% during the third quarter. Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 484 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 209 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in Ryanair by 1,057.4% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 544 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 497 shares during the period. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its position in Ryanair by 250.9% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 593 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 424 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 43.66% of the company’s stock.

Ryanair Company Profile

Ryanair Holdings plc is an Irish low-cost airline group headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Founded in 1984, the company grew into one of Europe’s largest budget carriers by offering point-to-point scheduled passenger services with an emphasis on low fares, high aircraft utilization and rapid turnaround times. Ryanair serves a broad network across Europe and nearby regions, focusing on both intra-European leisure travel and short-haul business routes.

The group primarily operates a single-type fleet based on the Boeing 737 family, supplemented by a mix of in-house and subsidiary airlines that help serve different markets and regulatory environments.