Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE:R) Short Interest Up 16.9% in February

Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE:R – Get Rating) saw a large increase in short interest in February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 1,380,000 shares, an increase of 16.9% from the February 13th total of 1,180,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 269,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.1 days. Currently, 3.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Ryder System Stock Down 2.8 %

Shares of R stock opened at $90.98 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $4.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.34 and a beta of 1.58. Ryder System has a one year low of $61.71 and a one year high of $102.36. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $93.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $85.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.70, a current ratio of 0.66 and a quick ratio of 0.64.

Ryder System (NYSE:R – Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The transportation company reported $3.89 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.60 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3 billion. Ryder System had a return on equity of 29.16% and a net margin of 7.22%. Ryder System’s quarterly revenue was up 18.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.52 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Ryder System will post 11.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Ryder System declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Wednesday, February 15th that authorizes the company to buyback 2,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the transportation company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Ryder System Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.62 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 17th. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.73%. Ryder System’s payout ratio is presently 14.55%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. CoreCap Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Ryder System in the second quarter worth about $25,000. Romano Brothers AND Company acquired a new stake in Ryder System in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ryder System in the second quarter worth about $75,000. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. increased its position in Ryder System by 3,250.0% in the third quarter. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. now owns 1,005 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 975 shares during the period. Finally, BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S acquired a new stake in Ryder System in the fourth quarter worth about $86,000. 83.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on R shares. Stephens increased their price target on shares of Ryder System from $91.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 16th. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on Ryder System from $93.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 16th. Wolfe Research upgraded Ryder System from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $100.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Ryder System from $81.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 16th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Ryder System from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, March 4th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.17.

Ryder System Company Profile

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Ryder System, Inc is a logistics and transportation company, which engages in providing supply chain, dedicated transportation, and fleet management solutions. It operates through the following business segments: Fleet Management Solutions (FMS), Supply Chain Solutions (SCS), and Dedicated Transportation Solutions (DTS).