Ryder System (NYSE:R) Hits New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE:R) shares reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $170.63 and last traded at $170.63, with a volume of 22353 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $165.67.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on R shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Ryder System from $148.00 to $144.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 25th. StockNews.com downgraded Ryder System from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $140.57.

Ryder System Price Performance

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 company has a market capitalization of $7.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.96 and a beta of 1.28. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $150.57 and its 200 day moving average is $136.58.

Ryder System (NYSE:R) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The transportation company reported $3.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.39 by $0.05. Ryder System had a return on equity of 16.78% and a net margin of 3.83%. The company had revenue of $3.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.29 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.58 EPS. Ryder System’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Ryder System, Inc. will post 12.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ryder System Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 20th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th will be given a $0.81 dividend. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.91%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. Ryder System’s payout ratio is currently 30.31%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ryder System

In related 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 $3,228,149.76. This trade represents a 16.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 5.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ryder System

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ryder System by 83.0% during the 3rd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 9,260 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,350,000 after acquiring an additional 4,200 shares in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LP grew its holdings in Ryder System by 206.9% in the first quarter. Caxton Associates LP now owns 8,319 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,000,000 after purchasing an additional 5,608 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its holdings in Ryder System by 116.5% in the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 47,459 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $5,704,000 after purchasing an additional 25,533 shares during the period. Bayesian Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Ryder System during the 1st quarter worth approximately $463,000. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Ryder System by 15.2% during the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 102,756 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $14,982,000 after buying an additional 13,586 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.47% of the company’s stock.

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.