Rayonier (NYSE:RYN) Sets New 52-Week Low – Should You Sell?

Shares of Rayonier Inc. (NYSE:RYN) reached a new 52-week low on Monday . The company traded as low as $25.49 and last traded at $25.67, with a volume of 61605 shares. The stock had previously closed at $25.96.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently weighed in on RYN. Truist Financial increased their price target on Rayonier from $31.00 to $32.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Rayonier from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 16th.

Rayonier Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.99 and a quick ratio of 1.85. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $30.14 and its 200-day moving average price is $30.23. The company has a market cap of $3.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.30 and a beta of 1.02.

Rayonier (NYSE:RYN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.13 by ($0.01). Rayonier had a net margin of 15.84% and a return on equity of 2.95%. The business had revenue of $195.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $211.21 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.13 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Rayonier Inc. will post 0.38 EPS for the current year.

Rayonier Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 12th will be paid a dividend of $1.80 per share. This is a positive change from Rayonier’s previous special dividend of $0.20. Rayonier’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 107.55%.

Rayonier declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Monday, December 2nd that permits the company to repurchase $300.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the real estate investment trust to purchase up to 6.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in RYN. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Rayonier in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Rayonier by 165.1% in the third quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,079 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 672 shares during the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC acquired a new position in Rayonier during the second quarter worth about $40,000. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Rayonier by 539.9% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,235 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 1,042 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Rayonier by 2,272.7% in the 2nd quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 1,566 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 1,500 shares in the last quarter. 89.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Rayonier

Rayonier is a leading timberland real estate investment trust with assets located in some of the most productive softwood timber growing regions in the United States and New Zealand. As of December 31, 2023, Rayonier owned or leased under long-term agreements approximately 2.7 million acres of timberlands located in the U.S.