Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE:RHP) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE:RHP) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 3,333,794 shares, an increase of 21.6% from the December 15th total of 2,742,260 shares. Approximately 5.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 407,634 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 8.2 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 407,634 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 8.2 days. Approximately 5.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on RHP. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Ryman Hospitality Properties in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and issued a $131.00 price target on shares of Ryman Hospitality Properties in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Barclays set a $109.00 price objective on shares of Ryman Hospitality Properties in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Evercore ISI cut their price target on shares of Ryman Hospitality Properties from $120.00 to $110.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Ryman Hospitality Properties from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Ryman Hospitality Properties has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $110.27.

Ryman Hospitality Properties Stock Performance

NYSE:RHP traded down $0.50 on Tuesday, hitting $94.33. The stock had a trading volume of 124,638 shares, compared to its average volume of 462,017. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $94.91 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $94.97. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.98. Ryman Hospitality Properties has a 52-week low of $76.27 and a 52-week high of $108.42. The stock has a market cap of $5.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 1.22.

Ryman Hospitality Properties (NYSE:RHP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $592.46 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $573.40 million. Ryman Hospitality Properties had a return on equity of 34.50% and a net margin of 9.58%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.93 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Ryman Hospitality Properties will post 8.81 earnings per share for the current year.

Ryman Hospitality Properties Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $1.20 per share. This is a boost from Ryman Hospitality Properties’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.1%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. Ryman Hospitality Properties’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 126.98%.

Insider Activity

In other Ryman Hospitality Properties news, Chairman Colin V. Reed purchased 8,993 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $92.16 per share, with a total value of $828,794.88. Following the completion of the purchase, the chairman directly owned 888,010 shares in the company, valued at approximately $81,839,001.60. This represents a 1.02% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 5.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ryman Hospitality Properties

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Aberdeen Group plc raised its holdings in Ryman Hospitality Properties by 6.1% in the fourth quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 22,105 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $2,092,000 after acquiring an additional 1,280 shares in the last quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ryman Hospitality Properties during the 4th quarter worth $312,000. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ryman Hospitality Properties in the 4th quarter worth about $215,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its position in Ryman Hospitality Properties by 10.2% during the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 5,245 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $501,000 after purchasing an additional 487 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hamlin Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Ryman Hospitality Properties by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Hamlin Capital Management LLC now owns 1,029,740 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $97,434,000 after buying an additional 41,764 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.48% of the company’s stock.

About Ryman Hospitality Properties

Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in the ownership and operation of group‐oriented, large convention center hotel resorts. The company’s portfolio is anchored by its Gaylord Hotels brand, offering integrated resort, convention, entertainment and dining experiences under long‐term management agreements with Marriott International.

Ryman’s flagship properties include Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center near Dallas/Fort Worth and Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.