First Trust Advisors LP Sells 41,218 Shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. $RCL

First Trust Advisors LP reduced its stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL - Free Report) by 64.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 23,111 shares of the company's stock after selling 41,218 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP's holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises were worth $6,360,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Montag A & Associates Inc. raised its stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 184.4% during the fourth quarter. Montag A & Associates Inc. now owns 91 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. bought a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. 87.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $376.00 to $341.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $327.00 to $362.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $296.00 price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Loop Capital started coverage on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a report on Monday, June 1st. They set a "hold" rating and a $304.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $361.00 to $388.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $350.50.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Performance

Shares of RCL stock opened at $318.53 on Monday. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $295.83 and its 200-day simple moving average is $289.73. The company has a market cap of $85.19 billion, a PE ratio of 19.69, a PEG ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.76. The company has a current ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 0.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has a 12-month low of $232.10 and a 12-month high of $366.50.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL - Get Free Report) last announced its 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 analyst estimates of $4.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.38 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Analysts expect that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will post 17.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 3rd were given a $1.50 dividend. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 3rd. Royal Caribbean Cruises's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.08%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Royal Caribbean Cruises news, CEO Michael W. Bayley sold 12,811 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 45,297 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,313,399.03. The trade was a 22.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 6.44% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Royal Caribbean Cruises News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Caribbean continues to benefit from resilient bookings, premium offerings and demand from higher-income travelers. Analysts argue that its focus on higher-margin guests may help offset cost pressures, while the company appears relatively insulated from weaker consumer vacation spending. Royal Caribbean: Higher Margin Guests Meet Fuel Risks, Dip Buying Opportunity Ahead
• Positive Sentiment: A comparison of Royal Caribbean and Carnival highlights favorable industry trends, including strong bookings, premium pricing and continued cruise demand. Royal Caribbean’s recent earnings also showed revenue growth and earnings above analyst expectations, supporting the company’s fundamental outlook. Carnival vs. Royal Caribbean: Which Cruise Stock Looks More Promising?
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target for RCL from $280 to $300 but maintained an “equal weight” rating. The revised target remains below the stock’s recent trading level, indicating limited near-term upside in the firm’s view. Morgan Stanley RCL price-target update
• Negative Sentiment: Freedom Capital downgraded Royal Caribbean from “strong buy” to “hold,” adding to valuation concerns after the stock’s substantial gains and contributing to selling pressure. Freedom Capital downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Michael W. Bayley sold 12,811 shares worth approximately $4.05 million, reducing his direct ownership by 22.05%. Although insider sales can be scheduled or diversification-related, the transaction may weigh on investor sentiment. SEC insider transaction filing

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.

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).

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.