Graeme Ashley Hepworth Sells 1,463 Shares of Royal Bank of Canada (TSE:RY) Stock

Royal Bank of Canada (TSE:RY) (NYSE:RY) insider Graeme Ashley Hepworth sold 1,463 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of C$261.83, for a total transaction of C$383,057.29.

Graeme Ashley Hepworth also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, April 22nd, Graeme Ashley Hepworth sold 1,463 shares of Royal Bank of Canada stock. 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

RY stock opened at C$262.33 on Wednesday. Royal Bank of Canada has a 52-week low of C$171.29 and a 52-week high of C$265.10. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is C$238.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$230.97. The firm has a market capitalization of C$364.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.02, a P/E/G ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.14.

Royal Bank of Canada (TSE:RY) (NYSE:RY) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The financial services provider reported C$4.08 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of C$17.96 billion for the quarter. Royal Bank of Canada had a return on equity of 15.37% and a net margin of 20.88%. Sell-side analysts predict that Royal Bank of Canada will post 12.3454675 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Royal Bank of Canada Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, May 22nd were given a dividend of $1.64 per share. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada’s payout ratio is presently 42.58%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on RY. TD Securities dropped their price target on Royal Bank of Canada from C$260.00 to C$259.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 27th. National Bank Financial upped their price objective on shares of Royal Bank of Canada from C$257.00 to C$271.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Royal Bank of Canada from C$244.00 to C$245.00 in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce upped their price objective on shares of Royal Bank of Canada from C$242.00 to C$258.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Desjardins upped their price objective on shares of Royal Bank of Canada from C$250.00 to C$262.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of C$253.19.

Key Headlines Impacting Royal Bank of Canada

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts recently raised their price targets on Royal Bank of Canada, including Canaccord Genuity to C$270 and Desjardins to C$262, while the consensus remains “Moderate Buy.”
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada also recently paid a quarterly dividend of C$1.64 per share, reinforcing its appeal for income-focused investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: The bank reported strong recent quarterly results, with C$4.08 EPS, C$17.96 billion in revenue, and a 15.37% return on equity, which supports the stock’s elevated valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple insiders and a director sold shares, including Director David Ian McKay and insiders Bruce Washington Ross, Katherine Gibson, Jennifer Kristine Publicover, and Graeme Ashley Hepworth, which can weigh on sentiment because it may signal limited short-term upside. Director David Ian McKay Sells 23,089 Shares of Stock

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.