Ryanair (NASDAQ:RYAAY) Shares Gap Up - Still a Buy?

Ryanair Holdings plc (NASDAQ:RYAAY - Get Free Report) shares gapped up prior to trading on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $39.66, but opened at $41.75. Ryanair shares last traded at $41.50, with a volume of 530,548 shares changing hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

RYAAY has been the subject of several research reports. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Ryanair from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Ryanair from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and three have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $147.00.

Ryanair Price Performance

The company's 50-day simple moving average is $45.33 and its 200 day simple moving average is $45.30. The company has a market cap of $23.67 billion, a PE ratio of 13.64, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 0.86.

Ryanair (NASDAQ:RYAAY - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 3rd. The transportation company reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.09 by $0.20. Ryanair had a return on equity of 21.46% and a net margin of 12.14%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Ryanair Holdings plc will post 3.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Verition Fund Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ryanair during the 3rd quarter worth $226,000. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its stake in Ryanair by 120.6% in the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 13,963 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $630,000 after buying an additional 7,634 shares in the last quarter. Stifel Financial Corp lifted its holdings in Ryanair by 146.8% during the 3rd quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 51,656 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $2,334,000 after buying an additional 30,723 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Ryanair by 53.2% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 285,808 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $12,913,000 after acquiring an additional 99,268 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MML Investors Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ryanair by 135.5% in the 3rd quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 26,928 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,217,000 after acquiring an additional 15,493 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 43.66% of the company's stock.

Ryanair Company Profile

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.