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Empowered Funds LLC Makes New $4.70 Million Investment in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. $RCL

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Key Points

  • Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new $4.70 million stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the second quarter, buying 14,805 shares. Institutional investors now own 87.53% of the company.
  • Royal Caribbean beat quarterly expectations with EPS of $4.21 versus $3.98 expected and revenue of $4.83 billion, up 6.5% year over year. The company issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $17.730–$17.870.
  • Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $353.40. However, CEO Michael Bayley sold 12,811 shares for approximately $4.05 million, reducing his direct ownership by 22.05%.
  • Five stocks to consider instead of Royal Caribbean Cruises.

Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 14,805 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,701,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 12.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,312 shares of the company's stock worth $303,000 after buying an additional 143 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP raised its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 40.8% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 20,918 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,297,000 after acquiring an additional 6,063 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership bought a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,762,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 5.4% during the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,772 shares of the company's stock worth $1,494,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares during the period. Finally, Brown Advisory Inc. acquired a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 2nd quarter worth $357,000. Institutional investors own 87.53% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Michael W. Bayley sold 12,811 shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.99, for a total transaction of $4,048,147.89. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 45,297 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,313,399.03. The trade was a 22.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 6.44% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Performance

RCL opened at $268.39 on Tuesday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $301.35 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $289.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03, a current ratio of 0.21 and a quick ratio of 0.19. The company has a market capitalization of $71.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 1.77. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has a 1-year low of $232.10 and a 1-year high of $366.50.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $4.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.98 by $0.23. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a return on equity of 43.33% and a net margin of 23.54%.The company had revenue of $4.83 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.82 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $4.38 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. Royal Caribbean Cruises has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.730-17.870 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 6.260-6.360 EPS. Research analysts predict that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will post 17.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on RCL. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $367.00 price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $370.00 price objective on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $361.00 to $388.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Loop Capital initiated coverage on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Monday, June 1st. They set a "hold" rating and a $304.00 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $353.40.

View Our Latest Stock Report on Royal Caribbean Cruises

Royal Caribbean Cruises Profile

(Free Report)

Royal Caribbean Cruises NYSE: RCL, operating as part of the Royal Caribbean Group, is a global cruise company that develops, markets and operates passenger cruise ships. The company operates multiple consumer-facing cruise brands that offer short- and long-duration itineraries and a range of onboard experiences. Its core activities include itineraries and voyage operations, guest services and hospitality, onboard food and beverage, entertainment and recreation programming, and the commercial activities needed to sell and support cruises through both direct and travel‑agent channels.

Royal Caribbean's ships serve a broad set of geographies worldwide, regularly deploying vessels in the Caribbean, North America (including Alaska), Europe, Asia, Australia and South America.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RCL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL - Free Report).

Institutional Ownership by Quarter for Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL)

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