Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE:R) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE:R - Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of "Moderate Buy" by the seven brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $147.43.

Several research firms recently issued reports on R. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Ryder System from $160.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. StockNews.com lowered Ryder System from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Ryder System from $148.00 to $144.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 25th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Thomas M. Havens sold 4,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.44, for a total transaction of $629,760.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 20,504 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,228,149.76. This trade represents a 16.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 5.10% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ryder System

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in R. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Ryder System by 212.4% in the third quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 425,614 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $62,055,000 after buying an additional 289,388 shares during the period. FMR LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ryder System by 56.2% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 781,519 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $113,945,000 after purchasing an additional 281,052 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Ryder System by 1,915.0% during the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 103,935 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $12,875,000 after purchasing an additional 98,777 shares in the last quarter. Earnest Partners LLC grew its stake in Ryder System by 3.4% during the second quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 1,915,544 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $237,298,000 after purchasing an additional 62,815 shares during the period. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Ryder System by 13.5% in the second quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 460,134 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $57,001,000 after purchasing an additional 54,605 shares in the last quarter. 87.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ryder System Stock Performance

NYSE:R traded up $2.75 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $159.23. 220,713 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 224,657. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.17, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 0.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.73 billion, a PE ratio of 14.90 and a beta of 1.30. Ryder System has a one year low of $106.62 and a one year high of $171.78. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $160.38 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $144.74.

Ryder System (NYSE:R - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The transportation company reported $3.44 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.39 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $3.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.29 billion. Ryder System had a net margin of 3.83% and a return on equity of 16.78%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.58 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Ryder System will post 12.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ryder System Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 20th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a dividend of $0.81 per share. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.03%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. Ryder System's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.31%.

About Ryder System

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.