Horizon Investments LLC Reduces Holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. $RCL

Key Points

• Horizon Investments LLC cut its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 57.5% in Q4, selling 6,502 shares and leaving 4,809 shares worth about $1.34 million.
• Royal Caribbean reported a strong Q1 (EPS $3.60 vs. $3.20 expected, revenue up 11.3% YoY, net income ~ $941M), announced additional Icon‑class ship orders and declared a $1.50 quarterly dividend (annualized $6.00, ~2.1% yield).
• There has been heavy insider selling recently — insiders sold 1,967,319 shares worth about $626.7 million over the last 90 days (insiders now own 6.44% of the stock), including notable sales by Laura H. Bethge and Director Maritza Gomez Montiel.

Horizon Investments LLC cut its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL - Free Report) by 57.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,809 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,502 shares during the period. Horizon Investments LLC's holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises were worth $1,341,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Royal Caribbean Cruises news, insider Laura H. Bethge sold 7,854 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $326.21, for a total transaction of $2,562,053.34. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 32,786 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,695,121.06. This trade represents a 19.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Maritza Gomez Montiel sold 1,385 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $327.18, for a total transaction of $453,144.30. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 12,849 shares in the company, valued at $4,203,935.82. This trade represents a 9.73% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 1,967,319 shares of company stock worth $626,681,935. 6.44% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on RCL. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $330.00 to $310.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Bank of America upped their price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $351.00 to $340.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 1st. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Royal Caribbean Cruises presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $347.10.

Trending Headlines about Royal Caribbean Cruises

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

• Positive Sentiment: Robust Q1 results and fleet growth — RCL reported strong Q1 results (high load factor, revenue up year‑over‑year, and net income of ~$941M) and placed additional Icon‑class ship orders, reinforcing revenue and capacity growth expectations. How Investors Are Reacting To Royal Caribbean (RCL) Strong Q1 2026 Results And New Icon Ship Orders
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared — RCL’s board authorized a $1.50 quarterly dividend (record June 3, payable July 2), signaling confidence in cash flow and returning capital to shareholders. Royal Caribbean Group Declares Dividend (PR Newswire)
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade — J.P. Morgan initiated/maintained a buy on RCL (coverage note reported), supporting investor sentiment and buying interest. Royal Caribbean (RCL) Receives a Buy from J.P. Morgan
• Neutral Sentiment: Isolated health incident — A hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius forced quarantine and docking hurdles for that vessel; WHO says broader public‑health risk is low, and coverage suggests the incident is unlikely to derail the broader cruise recovery. Still, itineraries and short‑term sentiment could be affected. I Sailed the MV Hondius. Its Crisis Won’t Derail Cruising.
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor attention and buzz — RCL is a trending stock on sites like Zacks and has been featured in lists about dividend stocks; that can amplify flows but is not a fundamental shift. Here is What to Know Beyond Why Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend stock lists — RCL appears in dividend roundups (buy‑and‑hold narratives); useful for income investors but less directly causative of sharp price moves. 2 Top Dividend Stocks to Double Up on Right Now
• Negative Sentiment: Peer weakness — Norwegian Cruise Line cut its outlook after mixed results, highlighting potential macro or execution headwinds in the sector that could pressure sentiment for RCL if conditions worsen. Norwegian Cruise Line Cuts Outlook as Headwinds Build (MarketBeat)

Royal Caribbean Cruises Price Performance

Royal Caribbean Cruises stock opened at $286.95 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $76.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 1.77. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has a one year low of $225.95 and a one year high of $366.50. The business has a fifty day moving average of $278.18 and a two-hundred day moving average of $285.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a current ratio of 0.20.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $3.60 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.20 by $0.40. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a net margin of 24.36% and a return on equity of 45.25%. The firm had revenue of $4.45 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.46 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.71 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. Royal Caribbean Cruises has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 3.830-3.930 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 17.100-17.500 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will post 17.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 3rd will be issued a dividend of $1.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 3rd. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Royal Caribbean Cruises's payout ratio is currently 36.61%.

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.