Paradigm Asset Management Co. LLC Purchases New Shares in Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE:R)

Paradigm Asset Management Co. LLC acquired a new position in Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE:R) during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm acquired 1,200 shares of the transportation company’s stock, valued at approximately $188,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Ryder System by 376.5% during the third quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 9,764 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,405,000 after buying an additional 7,715 shares in the last quarter. James Investment Research Inc. boosted its stake in Ryder System by 32.0% during the 4th quarter. James Investment Research Inc. now owns 12,374 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,941,000 after acquiring an additional 2,999 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in Ryder System by 14.3% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 136,781 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $20,724,000 after acquiring an additional 17,074 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new stake in shares of Ryder System in the 4th quarter worth about $12,242,000. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its stake in shares of Ryder System by 83.0% in the 3rd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 9,260 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,350,000 after purchasing an additional 4,200 shares in the last quarter. 87.47% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ryder System Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE R opened at $164.85 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.14. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $160.53 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $152.98. Ryder System, Inc. has a 52-week low of $106.88 and a 52-week high of $171.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.86 and a beta of 1.29.

Ryder System (NYSE:R) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The transportation company reported $3.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.39 by $0.06. Ryder System had a return on equity of 17.23% and a net margin of 3.87%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Ryder System, Inc. will post 13.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Ryder System Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be given a dividend of $0.81 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.97%. Ryder System’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.22%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on R. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Ryder System from $160.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Ryder System from $176.00 to $174.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Ryder System from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, February 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $157.00.

Ryder System Company Profile

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.