Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. $RCL Stock: Diversify Advisory Services LLC Trims Stake

Key Points

• Diversify Advisory Services LLC cut its Royal Caribbean stake by 48.6% in the third quarter, selling 4,087 shares and retaining 4,327 shares valued at approximately $1.21 million. Institutional investors collectively own 87.53% of RCL.
• Royal Caribbean reported quarterly EPS of $4.21, exceeding estimates of $3.98, while revenue rose 6.5% year over year to $4.83 billion. The company also declared a $1.50 quarterly dividend, equivalent to a 2.2% yield.
• RCL shares were trading at $276.49, down 3.4%, amid concerns over rising fuel costs and operating expenses. Despite near-term caution, analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $350.35.

Diversify Advisory Services LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL - Free Report) by 48.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,327 shares of the company's stock after selling 4,087 shares during the quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises were worth $1,212,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the second quarter worth $321,332,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 5.0% during the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 293,714 shares of the company's stock worth $93,261,000 after buying an additional 14,018 shares during the period. Quantitative Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the second quarter valued at $3,586,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the second quarter valued at $650,000. Finally, State of Michigan Retirement System bought a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the first quarter valued at $18,080,000. Institutional investors own 87.53% of the company's stock.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Trading Down 3.4%

NYSE RCL opened at $276.49 on Friday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $271.20 and its 200-day moving average price is $282.18. The company has a current ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 0.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03. The stock has a market cap of $73.95 billion, a PE ratio of 17.09, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.82. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has a 12 month low of $222.22 and a 12 month high of $356.39.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $4.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.98 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $4.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 for the quarter was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business 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. Equities research analysts forecast that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will post 17.78 earnings per share for the current year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 17th were paid a dividend of $1.50 per share. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 17th. Royal Caribbean Cruises's payout ratio is currently 37.08%.

Royal Caribbean Cruises News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Investor expectations remain constructive heading into the Q3 report, with Wall Street forecasting approximately $6.38 in earnings per share and an 8.7% increase in revenue. Strong cruise demand, higher ticket revenue and resilient onboard spending could support results. Royal Caribbean Cruises Dropped, But What Is Driving Attention Now?
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s recent operating momentum—including continued demand and pricing strength—provides a potential catalyst if RCL meets or exceeds Q3 expectations or raises its outlook. Royal Caribbean Gears Up to Report Q3 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: The stock had gained substantially over the prior month before the latest pullback, suggesting some profit-taking or heightened volatility as investors position for earnings. Analysts are also examining booking trends, pricing, occupancy and onboard revenue for evidence that growth can continue. Unveiling Royal Caribbean Q3 Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Crude oil’s rise to a five-month high is weighing on cruise operators because fuel is one of their largest operating expenses. Higher fuel costs could pressure margins across the industry, contributing to declines in RCL, Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line. Cruise Stocks Fall as Oil Price Hits Five-Month High
• Negative Sentiment: Expectations for stronger revenue are being offset by concerns about yield pressure and rising operating costs, which could limit earnings upside even if bookings remain healthy. Royal Caribbean Gears Up to Report Q3 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Susquehanna issued a pessimistic forecast for RCL, adding analyst caution to the stock’s near-term narrative and potentially reinforcing profit-taking ahead of earnings. Susquehanna Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Royal Caribbean Cruises

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on RCL shares. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their target price for the stock from $305.00 to $330.00 in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $340.00 to $337.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $297.00 to $298.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, September 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price target for the company from $299.00 to $330.00 in a report on Monday, September 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Twenty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $350.35.

Insider Buying and Selling at Royal Caribbean Cruises

In related news, CEO Michael Bayley sold 12,811 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.99, for a total value 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. The trade was a 22.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 6.44% of the company's stock.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Company Profile

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., doing business as Royal Caribbean Group NYSE: RCL, is a global cruise company that operates vacation cruises and related travel experiences. Its fleet visits destinations across the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Asia, Australia, and other regions, with itineraries that typically include onboard entertainment, dining, accommodations, recreational activities, and shore excursions.

The company's principal brands include Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises.

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