Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE:R) Shares Sold by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. reduced its position in shares of Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE:R - Free Report) by 3.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 96,910 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 3,254 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.23% of Ryder System worth $15,201,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. James Investment Research Inc. boosted its holdings in Ryder System by 32.0% in the 4th quarter. James Investment Research Inc. now owns 12,374 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,941,000 after buying an additional 2,999 shares during the period. Principal Securities Inc. raised its position in shares of Ryder System by 36.5% during the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 344 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. Savant Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Ryder System by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 2,438 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $382,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Burns Matteson Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ryder System in the fourth quarter valued at $395,000. Finally, Keystone Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Ryder System in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. 87.47% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ryder System Stock Performance

Shares of Ryder System stock traded up $4.76 on Friday, reaching $164.40. 441,199 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 363,210. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $160.77 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $154.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.82 and a beta of 1.29. Ryder System, Inc. has a twelve month low of $106.88 and a twelve month high of $171.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.14.

Ryder System (NYSE:R - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The transportation company reported $3.45 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.39 by $0.06. Ryder System had a net margin of 3.87% and a return on equity of 17.23%. Analysts anticipate that Ryder System, Inc. will post 13.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ryder System Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be issued a $0.81 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.97%. Ryder System's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.22%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of Ryder System from $160.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. StockNews.com cut Ryder System from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Ryder System from $176.00 to $174.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $157.00.

Ryder System Company Profile

Ryder System, Inc operates as a logistics and transportation company worldwide. It operates through three segments: Fleet Management Solutions (FMS), Supply Chain Solutions (SCS), and Dedicated Transportation Solutions (DTS). The FMS segment offers full-service leasing and leasing with flexible maintenance options; commercial vehicle rental services; and contract or transactional maintenance services of trucks, tractors, and trailers; access to diesel fuel; and fuel planning and tax reporting, cards, and monitoring services, and centralized billing, as well as sells used vehicles through its retail sales centers and www.ryder.com/used-trucks website, as well as digital and technology support services.