Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) Stock Has Average Price Target of $358.88

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive: 21 of 29 brokerages rate Royal Caribbean a buy and eight recommend holding, producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average 12-month price target of $358.88.
• Latest quarterly results were mixed: EPS of $6.57 beat estimates of $6.38, while revenue of $5.59 billion fell slightly short of forecasts; revenue rose 8.8% year over year.
• Insiders have been selling shares: Company insiders sold about 912,000 shares valued at roughly $304 million over the past 90 days.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-nine brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-one have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $358.88.

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on RCL shares. Tigress Financial reissued a "buy" rating and set a $425.00 target price on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Deutsche Bank upgraded shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price target for the stock from $299.00 to $330.00 in a report on Monday, September 28th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "equal weight" rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $358.00 to $361.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $337.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 28th.

Royal Caribbean Cruises News Roundup

These are some of the RCL news items that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted RCL as a strong growth stock, which may attract investors seeking companies with growth characteristics. The article’s excerpt does not provide specific forecasts or new company results. Article: Here's Why Royal Caribbean (RCL) is a Strong Growth Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Royal Caribbean held a naming ceremony for its new Legend of the Seas ship. The event reinforces the company’s fleet and vacation offering, but the announcement provides no new financial or booking details. Article: Royal Caribbean Celebrates Legend of the Seas in Veterans Day Naming Ceremony
• Negative Sentiment: Three reports describe Royal Caribbean directors selling shares worth approximately $159.8 million in total. Large insider sales can weigh on sentiment, although the headlines do not explain the reasons for the transactions. Article: Director Sells $43,237,536.08 in Stock Article: Director Sells $59,457,945.12 in Stock Article: Director Sells $57,128,299.40 in Stock

Royal Caribbean Cruises Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of RCL traded up $1.36 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $323.36. 1,248,044 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,233,756. The stock has a market cap of $86.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.14, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.88. The stock's 50-day moving average is $281.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $289.00. Royal Caribbean Cruises has a 12 month low of $222.22 and a 12 month high of $356.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69, a current ratio of 0.22 and a quick ratio of 0.19.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $6.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.38 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $5.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.61 billion. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a return on equity of 43.40% and a net margin of 23.78%. Royal Caribbean Cruises's quarterly revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $5.75 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Royal Caribbean Cruises will post 17.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 17th were given a dividend of $1.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 17th. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Royal Caribbean Cruises's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.52%.

Insider Activity at Royal Caribbean Cruises

In related news, Director Arne Wilhelmsen sold 35,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $325.50, for a total value of $11,392,500.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 15,524,236 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,053,138,818. This represents a 0.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Maritza Montiel sold 400 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.21, for a total value of $122,884.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 13,202 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,055,786.42. This trade represents a 2.94% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 912,074 shares of company stock valued at $304,196,365 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 6.44% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Royal Caribbean Cruises

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the second quarter valued at $6,549,422,000. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 1.1% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 10,806,077 shares of the company's stock worth $2,888,908,000 after acquiring an additional 116,943 shares during the period. Sanders Capital LLC lifted its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 85.7% in the third quarter. Sanders Capital LLC now owns 4,835,116 shares of the company's stock worth $1,285,464,000 after acquiring an additional 2,231,864 shares during the period. Primecap Management Co. CA purchased a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the second quarter worth about $669,804,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,957,044 shares of the company's stock worth $538,393,000 after acquiring an additional 38,748 shares in the last quarter. 87.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Royal Caribbean Cruises

Royal Caribbean Group, formerly known as Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., is a global cruise vacation company. Its brands include Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises, which offer voyages ranging from large-ship family vacations to premium and luxury experiences. The company serves travelers through itineraries to destinations around the world, including the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska and Asia. Its vacation offerings combine onboard accommodations, dining and entertainment with shore excursions and visits to ports and private destinations.

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