Equitable Holdings Inc. Makes New Investment in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. $RCL

Key Points

• Equitable Holdings initiated a position in Royal Caribbean Cruises, buying 8,012 shares valued at approximately $2.54 million. Institutional investors collectively own 87.53% of the company.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with Royal Caribbean receiving a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $353.40, despite some analysts maintaining Hold ratings.
• Royal Caribbean exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $4.21 in EPS versus the $3.98 consensus and $4.83 billion in revenue. CEO Michael Bayley subsequently sold 12,811 shares at an average price of $315.99.

Equitable Holdings Inc. purchased a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 8,012 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,544,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Montag A & Associates Inc. increased its holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 184.4% in the 4th quarter. Montag A & Associates Inc. now owns 91 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. bought a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Quattro Advisors LLC bought a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. 87.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. William Blair restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $361.00 to $388.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Citigroup increased their price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $327.00 to $362.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Loop Capital initiated coverage on Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Monday, June 1st. They issued a "hold" rating and a $304.00 price target on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Royal Caribbean Cruises currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $353.40.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:RCL opened at $279.93 on Friday. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $302.18 and its 200-day moving average price is $290.18. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has a twelve month low of $232.10 and a twelve month high of $366.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $74.87 billion, a PE ratio of 17.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.77.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $4.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.98 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $4.83 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.82 billion. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a net margin of 23.54% and a return on equity of 43.33%. The firm's revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.38 earnings per share. 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. Equities research analysts expect that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will post 17.78 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Royal Caribbean Cruises

In other news, CEO Michael W. Bayley sold 12,811 shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.99, for a total transaction of $4,048,147.89. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 45,297 shares in the company, valued at $14,313,399.03. This trade represents a 22.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 6.44% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Profile

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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