Royal Bank of Canada (TSE:RY) Insider Sells C$355,245.66 in Stock

Royal Bank of Canada (TSE:RY) (NYSE:RY) insider Graeme Ashley Hepworth sold 1,463 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of C$242.82, for a total transaction of C$355,245.66.

Royal Bank of Canada Price Performance

Shares of Royal Bank of Canada stock opened at C$239.83 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is C$230.17 and its 200-day moving average price is C$224.54. Royal Bank of Canada has a 52-week low of C$161.82 and a 52-week high of C$246.72. The company has a market cap of C$333.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.47, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.07.

Royal Bank of Canada (TSE:RY) (NYSE:RY) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The financial services provider reported C$4.08 EPS for the quarter. Royal Bank of Canada had a net margin of 20.88% and a return on equity of 15.37%. The company had revenue of C$17.96 billion during the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Royal Bank of Canada will post 12.3454675 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Royal Bank of Canada Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, May 22nd will be given a dividend of $1.64 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 23rd. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. Royal Bank of Canada’s dividend payout ratio is presently 42.58%.

Royal Bank of Canada News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Royal Bank of Canada this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Recent fundamentals remain supportive: RBC reported strong Q4 results (C$4.08 EPS, C$17.96B revenue) and retains solid profitability metrics, which underpins longer‑term investor confidence. MarketBeat – Royal Bank of Canada profile
• Neutral Sentiment: Technicals/flow: the share price is near its 1‑year high and trading above both the 50‑ and 200‑day moving averages with volume above average — this can amplify moves but does not on its own change fundamentals. MarketBeat – Royal Bank of Canada profile
• Negative Sentiment: Director David Ian Mckay sold 23,089 shares at C$242.82 (~C$5.61M), reducing his holding by ~79.7% — a large director sale that may be viewed negatively by the market. Insider sale report
• Negative Sentiment: Insider Bruce Washington Ross sold 3,657 shares at C$242.82 (~C$888k), cutting his stake by ~93.96% — another sizable reduction. Insider sale report
• Negative Sentiment: Insiders Graeme Ashley Hepworth, Katherine Gibson and Jennifer Publicover also sold shares on April 22 (totaling ~1,463; 462; and 439 shares respectively), adding to the pattern of insider selling. Insider sale report

Analysts Set New Price Targets

RY has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Raymond James Financial increased their target price on shares of Royal Bank of Canada from C$255.00 to C$260.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce increased their target price on shares of Royal Bank of Canada from C$229.00 to C$242.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Royal Bank of Canada from C$217.00 to C$220.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. TD Securities decreased their target price on shares of Royal Bank of Canada from C$260.00 to C$259.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, National Bank Financial increased their target price on shares of Royal Bank of Canada from C$241.00 to C$247.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of C$244.58.

Royal Bank of Canada Company Profile

Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 101,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada’s biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our more than 19 million clients in Canada, the U.S.