Ryanair Q3 Profit Hit by Italian Fine Provision Despite Traffic and Revenue Growth

Ryanair Holdings ( (RYAAY) ) has shared an update.

On 26 January 2026, Ryanair reported third-quarter FY26 profit after tax of €115 million before exceptional items, down from €149 million a year earlier, with post-exceptional profit dropping to €30 million following an €85 million provision related to a disputed Italian competition authority fine. Despite the profit decline, Q3 revenue rose 9% to €3.21 billion as traffic grew 6% to 47.5 million passengers, average fares increased 4%, and ancillary revenue climbed 7%, while unit costs remained flat per passenger; the airline highlighted strong hedging positions on fuel, a robust BBB+ rated balance sheet with €1 billion net cash, ongoing share buybacks and dividends, and reiterated its growth plan to 216 million passengers in FY27 and 300 million annually by FY34, supported by its expanding Boeing 737-8200 “Gamechanger” fleet, capacity reallocation towards lower-tax markets, continued ESG upgrades, and expectations of structurally constrained European short-haul capacity. The company is appealing the €256 million Italian AGCM fine it describes as baseless, and for FY26 it modestly raised its traffic forecast to almost 208 million passengers and now guides pre-exceptional full-year profit after tax in the €2.13–€2.23 billion range, while cautioning that final results remain vulnerable to geopolitical risks, macroeconomic shocks and persistent European air traffic control disruptions.

The most recent analyst rating on (RYAAY) stock is a Buy with a $83.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Ryanair Holdings stock, see the RYAAY Stock Forecast page.

Spark’s Take on RYAAY Stock

According to Spark, TipRanks’ AI Analyst, RYAAY is a Outperform.

Ryanair’s strong financial performance, positive technical indicators, and strategic initiatives highlighted in the earnings call contribute to a robust stock score. The company’s attractive valuation further supports its investment appeal, despite challenges like capacity constraints and environmental costs.

To see Spark’s full report on RYAAY stock, click here.

More about Ryanair Holdings

Ryanair Holdings plc is Europe’s largest low-cost airline group and the parent of Buzz, Lauda, Malta Air, Ryanair and Ryanair UK. The group operates around 3,800 daily short-haul flights from 95 bases, connecting more than 220 airports across 36 countries with a fleet of over 640 aircraft and more than 300 additional Boeing 737s on order, targeting growth to 300 million passengers per year by FY2034. With a workforce of over 26,000 and a 40-year safety record, Ryanair positions itself as one of the most cost-efficient and environmentally efficient major EU airlines, aiming to cut emissions to 50 grams of CO₂ per passenger kilometre by 2031.

Average Trading Volume: 1,043,169

Technical Sentiment Signal: Buy

Current Market Cap: $35.74B

For an in-depth examination of RYAAY stock, go to TipRanks’ Overview page.