JTC Employer Solutions Trustee Ltd Boosts Stock Holdings in Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE:RY)

JTC Employer Solutions Trustee Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE:RY) (TSE:RY) by 355.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,705 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,331 shares during the quarter. JTC Employer Solutions Trustee Ltd’s holdings in Royal Bank of Canada were worth $206,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in shares of Royal Bank of Canada during the third quarter worth $25,000. Dunhill Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Royal Bank of Canada during the third quarter worth $25,000. Larson Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Royal Bank of Canada during the third quarter worth $26,000. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. grew its stake in shares of Royal Bank of Canada by 110.3% during the third quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 225 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of Royal Bank of Canada during the third quarter worth $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 45.31% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Barclays upgraded shares of Royal Bank of Canada from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. TD Securities downgraded shares of Royal Bank of Canada from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on shares of Royal Bank of Canada from $195.00 to $193.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Royal Bank of Canada from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $156.50.

Royal Bank of Canada Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:RY traded down $0.27 on Monday, reaching $118.15. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 178,210 shares, compared to its average volume of 659,304. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $122.98 and its two-hundred day moving average is $119.03. Royal Bank of Canada has a 52-week low of $93.97 and a 52-week high of $128.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $167.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.30, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.87.

Royal Bank of Canada Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 27th will be issued a $1.0522 dividend. This represents a $4.21 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.56%. This is a boost from Royal Bank of Canada’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.03. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, January 27th. Royal Bank of Canada’s dividend payout ratio is presently 52.91%.

Royal Bank of Canada Company Profile

Royal Bank of Canada operates as a diversified financial service company worldwide. The company's Personal & Commercial Banking segment offers checking and savings accounts, home equity financing, personal lending, private banking, indirect lending, including auto financing, mutual funds and self-directed brokerage accounts, guaranteed investment certificates, credit cards, and payment products and solutions; and lending, leasing, deposit, investment, foreign exchange, cash management, auto dealer financing, trade products, and services to small and medium-sized commercial businesses.