Vanguard Group Inc. Grows Position in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. $RCL

Key Points

• Vanguard raised its stake by 0.6% to 30,253,450 shares, equal to about 11.09% of Royal Caribbean and valued at roughly $8.44 billion.
• Royal Caribbean reported quarterly EPS of $2.80 (in line with estimates) and revenue of $4.26 billion (+13.2% YoY), and increased its quarterly dividend to $1.50 (annualized $6.00, ~2.3% yield).
• Analysts hold a consensus Moderate Buy with an average target of $352.89 (16 Buys, 4 Holds), while insiders sold nearly 1.97M shares (~$626.7M) in the last 90 days and institutional ownership is about 87.5%.

Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL - Free Report) by 0.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 30,253,450 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 187,283 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 11.09% of Royal Caribbean Cruises worth $8,438,292,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of RCL. SRH Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. GGM Financials LLC purchased a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton acquired a new position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in the third quarter valued at approximately $42,000. 87.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Price Performance

Royal Caribbean Cruises stock opened at $266.32 on Monday. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $284.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $286.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.77, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a current ratio of 0.18. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has a 1 year low of $203.85 and a 1 year high of $366.50. The company has a market capitalization of $71.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 1.93.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $2.80 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $2.80. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a net margin of 23.80% and a return on equity of 45.06%. The firm had revenue of $4.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.28 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.63 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 13.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will post 17.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th were given a dividend of $1.50 per share. This is an increase from Royal Caribbean Cruises's previous quarterly dividend of $1.00. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 6th. Royal Caribbean Cruises's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.44%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $380.00 price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $330.00 to $310.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $310.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. William Blair reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Mizuho set a $379.00 price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a report on Friday, January 30th. Sixteen investment 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, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $352.89.

Key Stories Impacting Royal Caribbean Cruises

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

• Positive Sentiment: Falling oil prices improve margin outlook for cruise operators by lowering fuel expense, a large operating cost for Royal Caribbean; analysts and market commentators are flagging cruise names as attractive beneficiaries of cheaper fuel. 3 Cruise Stocks to Buy as Oil Prices Plummet
• Positive Sentiment: Average brokerage recommendations for RCL sit around a Buy, which can support demand for the shares and act as a sentiment anchor for investors. Royal Caribbean (RCL) Is Considered a Good Investment by Brokers: Is That True?
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and comparative reviews (broader market writeups) are noting RCL alongside peers; these pieces raise awareness but don't present new catalysts. Reviewing Royal Caribbean Cruises NYSE: RCL & The Generation Essentials Group NYSE: TGE
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts expect revenue and EPS growth, but multiple previews (Zacks/Yahoo) suggest Royal Caribbean may lack the components typically associated with an earnings beat next week — a mixed signal that keeps upside limited near term. Royal Caribbean (RCL) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week's Release
• Negative Sentiment: Heightened Middle East tensions around the Strait of Hormuz raise the risk of supply disruptions and higher bunker fuel costs or transport detours — an input shock that would hit margins and leisure demand if sustained. Strait Of Hormuz Tensions Add Fuel Cost Question For Royal Caribbean
• Negative Sentiment: Recent intra‑week weakness and a short pullback in the stock reflect volatility and profit‑taking after prior gains, highlighting that sentiment can reverse quickly on macro or sector headlines. Royal Caribbean (RCL) Stock Slides as Market Rises: Facts to Know Before You Trade

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Arne Alexander Wilhelmsen sold 245,476 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $311.54, for a total value of $76,475,593.04. Following the sale, the director owned 16,435,910 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,120,443,401.40. The trade was a 1.47% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Laura H. Bethge sold 7,854 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $326.21, for a total value of $2,562,053.34. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 32,786 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,695,121.06. The trade was a 19.33% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 1,967,319 shares of company stock valued at $626,681,935. 6.95% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Royal Caribbean Cruises 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.

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