Ryanair Provides Positive Near-term Pricing Trends Commentary, BofA Says; Price Objective Up

07:22 AM EDT, 09/24/2026 (MT Newswires) -- BofA Global Research lifted its price objective for Ryanair (RYA.IR), noting positive commentary from the Irish budget airline's chief financial officer regarding near-term ticket prices. "We attended Ryanair's CFO Neil Sorahan sell-side analyst dinner yesterday and came away positive on near-term pricing trends, the MAX 10 certification timeline, and the unit cost outlook. Mr Sorahan doesn't expect CEO Michael O'Leary to retire in FY32 when his current contract ends. Ryanair is confident of reaching its EUR12-14 profit per pax target in the MT, even though fuel prices are higher, as it expects industry consolidation to drive stronger fares," analysts said Wednesday. The research firm noted management comments that close-in bookings and recent fare trends have shown slight improvement, with fiscal second-quarter fares tracking with Ryanair's guidance for a modest decline. "With 43% of F3Q booked, but less than 5% of F4Q, winter visibility remains limited, but Mr Sorahan expects further winter capacity cuts. Ryanair is adding hedging cover opportunistically on dips, though the position is little changed from the 15% previously announced. Management could move towards 20-30% but does not want to lock in more at the current curve," BofA wrote. On the earnings front, analysts raised their fiscal 2027 earnings estimates by 1% to account for "attractive" airport deals. BofA also raised its price objective to 28 euros from 27.50 euros and maintained the stock's buy rating.