Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. $RCL Stock: Sowell Financial Services LLC Reduces Position

Key Points

• Sowell Financial Services LLC cut its Royal Caribbean position by 75.1% in the third quarter, leaving it with 2,987 shares valued at approximately $794,000. Institutional investors overall still own 87.53% of the company.
• Royal Caribbean reported quarterly EPS of $4.21, exceeding estimates, while revenue rose 6.5% year over year to $4.83 billion. Analysts expect continued demand and pricing strength, with Q3 EPS forecasts near $6.38 and full-year guidance of $17.73–$17.87.
• The stock carries a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $350.35, but rising crude oil prices, potential yield pressure and higher operating costs could weigh on margins ahead of earnings.

Sowell Financial Services LLC lowered its position in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL - Free Report) by 75.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,987 shares of the company's stock after selling 8,992 shares during the period. Sowell Financial Services LLC's holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises were worth $794,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the second quarter worth about $6,549,422,000. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 2.6% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 10,689,134 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,409,971,000 after purchasing an additional 270,930 shares during the period. Primecap Management Co. CA bought a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 2nd quarter valued at about $669,804,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,957,044 shares of the company's stock valued at $538,393,000 after purchasing an additional 38,748 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 2nd quarter valued at about $597,350,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.53% of the company's stock.

Key Royal Caribbean Cruises News

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

Royal Caribbean Cruises Price Performance

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

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $4.21 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 business had revenue of $4.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $4.38 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. 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. Sell-side analysts predict that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will post 17.78 earnings per share for the current year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $337.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Tigress Financial reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $425.00 price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a report on Monday, September 28th. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Freedom Capital cut shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Argus upped their target price on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $330.00 to $375.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $350.35.

Insider Transactions at Royal Caribbean Cruises

In other Royal Caribbean Cruises news, CEO Michael Bayley sold 12,811 shares of the firm'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 in the company, valued at approximately $14,313,399.03. This trade represents a 22.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing 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 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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