Exchange Traded Concepts LLC Has $7.02 Million Position in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. $RCL

Key Points

• Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its Royal Caribbean stake by 722.1% in the second quarter, ending with 22,098 shares valued at approximately $7.02 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 87.53% of RCL.
• Royal Caribbean exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $4.21 in EPS versus the $3.98 consensus and $4.83 billion in revenue, up 6.5% year over year. The company guided to fiscal 2026 EPS of $17.73–$17.87.
• Wall Street maintains a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $353.40, above the stock’s recent price near $310. However, CEO Michael Bayley sold 12,811 shares, reducing his ownership by 22.05%.

Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL - Free Report) by 722.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 22,098 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 19,410 shares during the quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC's holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises were worth $7,017,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of RCL. Capital International Investors increased its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 9.8% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 36,165,358 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,088,156,000 after purchasing an additional 3,215,382 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 4th quarter valued at about $456,752,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 25,747.4% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,202,161 shares of the company's stock valued at $335,307,000 after buying an additional 1,197,510 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors increased its position in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 20,176,544 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,627,669,000 after buying an additional 920,042 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its position in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 23.9% in the 4th quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 2,416,425 shares of the company's stock valued at $673,990,000 after buying an additional 465,401 shares in the last quarter. 87.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Michael W. Bayley sold 12,811 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 45,297 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,313,399.03. This represents a 22.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 6.44% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Price Performance

Shares of NYSE RCL opened at $310.32 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $82.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.18, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03, a quick ratio of 0.19 and a current ratio of 0.21. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has a fifty-two week low of $232.10 and a fifty-two week high of $366.50. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $302.35 and its 200 day simple moving average is $292.07.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on RCL shares. Susquehanna increased their price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $350.00 to $372.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on Royal Caribbean Cruises in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $370.00 price objective for the company. TD Cowen lowered their target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $350.00 to $337.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 15th. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $367.00 target price on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $296.00 price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One 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's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $353.40.

Key Headlines Impacting Royal Caribbean Cruises

Here are the key news stories impacting Royal Caribbean Cruises this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its FY2026 EPS estimate to $17.73 from $17.13, bringing it close to the broader consensus estimate of $17.79. The firm also increased its estimates for Q3 2026, Q4 2026, FY2027, Q4 2027 and FY2028, suggesting expectations for continued earnings growth. Are Wall Street Analysts Predicting Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Will Climb or Sink?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks lifted its FY2027 EPS forecast to $19.10 from $19.06 and FY2028 EPS forecast to $22.09 from $22.04. Although the revisions were modest, they reinforce expectations that Royal Caribbean’s earnings can expand beyond 2026.
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerages’ average price target is approximately $353.40, materially above the stock’s recent trading level near $310, implying potential upside if the company meets or exceeds earnings expectations. Brokerages Set Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Price Target at $353.40
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains mixed rather than strongly bullish. Zacks Research maintains a Hold rating, while broader Wall Street commentary describes the outlook as cautiously optimistic despite RCL’s lagging the overall market over the past year. Analysts’ Opinions Are Mixed on Royal Caribbean
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks lowered its Q1 2027 EPS estimate to $3.66 from $3.68, Q1 2028 to $4.92 from $5.20, and Q2 2028 to $5.49 from $5.65. These reductions indicate some pressure or uncertainty in specific seasonal periods, partially offsetting the broader upward revisions.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Company 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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