GAMMA Investing LLC Buys 823 Shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. $RCL

Key Points

• GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. by 12% in the second quarter, owning 7,691 shares valued at approximately $2.41 million.
• Royal Caribbean Cruises recently announced a quarterly dividend increase from $0.75 to $1.00, resulting in an annualized dividend of $4.00 and a yield of 1.2%.
• Several analysts have set new price targets for Royal Caribbean Cruises, with most ratings ranging from Buy to Hold, and a consensus target price of $326.95.

GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL - Free Report) by 12.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,691 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 823 shares during the quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC's holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises were worth $2,408,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group purchased a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Optimum Investment Advisors acquired a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 1st quarter worth approximately $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.53% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have weighed in on RCL. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $311.00 to $353.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Loop Capital reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $290.00 price objective (up previously from $250.00) on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. TD Cowen began coverage on Royal Caribbean Cruises in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. They issued a "buy" rating and a $405.00 price objective for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $290.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 2nd. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $390.00 to $399.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $326.95.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Up 0.4%

NYSE RCL traded up $1.22 on Monday, hitting $329.82. 1,529,853 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,920,677. The company has a current ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.88. The company has a market capitalization of $89.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 2.12. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has a twelve month low of $164.01 and a twelve month high of $366.50. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $335.95 and a 200 day moving average of $275.44.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $4.38 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.04 by $0.34. The firm had revenue of $4.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.54 billion. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a net margin of 20.97% and a return on equity of 47.15%. Royal Caribbean Cruises's revenue for the quarter was up 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.21 earnings per share. Royal Caribbean Cruises has set its FY 2025 guidance at 15.410-15.550 EPS. Q3 2025 guidance at 5.550-5.650 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will post 14.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 25th will be issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. This is a boost from Royal Caribbean Cruises's previous quarterly dividend of $0.75. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 25th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Royal Caribbean Cruises's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.49%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Royal Caribbean Cruises

In related news, CAO Henry L. Pujol sold 5,207 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $329.47, for a total value of $1,715,550.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 7,826 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,578,432.22. This trade represents a 39.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Vagn O. Sorensen sold 10,300 shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $330.04, for a total value of $3,399,412.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 16,407 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,414,966.28. This represents a 38.57% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 31,507 shares of company stock valued at $10,091,282 in the last 90 days. 6.95% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Company Profile

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. operates as a cruise company worldwide. The company operates cruises under the Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises brands, which comprise a range of itineraries. As of February 21, 2024, it operated 65 ships. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.