Royal Bank of Canada (TSE:RY) Insider Sells C$434,788.97 in 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 Wednesday, July 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of C$297.19, for a total value of C$434,788.97.

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

• On Monday, June 22nd, Graeme Ashley Hepworth sold 1,463 shares of Royal Bank of Canada stock. The shares were sold at an average price of C$284.86, for a total transaction of C$416,750.18.
• On Friday, May 22nd, Graeme Ashley Hepworth sold 1,463 shares of Royal Bank of Canada stock. The stock was sold at an average price of C$261.83, for a total transaction of C$383,057.29.

Royal Bank of Canada Stock Performance

Shares of Royal Bank of Canada stock traded up C$0.68 during midday trading on Friday, reaching C$294.35. 1,124,933 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,589,400. Royal Bank of Canada has a 52 week low of C$175.50 and a 52 week high of C$306.38. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is C$281.00 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$249.98. The company has a market cap of C$409.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.05.

Royal Bank of Canada (TSE:RY) (NYSE:RY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The financial services provider reported C$3.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of C$17.45 billion during the quarter. Royal Bank of Canada had a net margin of 18.40% and a return on equity of 15.95%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Royal Bank of Canada will post 12.3454675 earnings per share for the current year.

Royal Bank of Canada Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 24th will be given a $1.76 dividend. This is an increase from Royal Bank of Canada’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.64. This represents a $7.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 27th. Royal Bank of Canada’s payout ratio is presently 41.35%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on RY shares. Raymond James Financial increased their price objective on Royal Bank of Canada from C$265.50 to C$270.50 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce upped their target price on Royal Bank of Canada from C$258.00 to C$279.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their price target on Royal Bank of Canada from C$282.00 to C$310.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. National Bank Financial lifted their price target 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 report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Royal Bank of Canada from C$226.00 to C$232.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Royal Bank of Canada presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of C$262.96.

About Royal Bank of Canada

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.