Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) Receives Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL - Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-one ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $276.90.

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Northcoast Research assumed coverage on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Friday, April 25th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $279.00 price objective for the company. Susquehanna reduced their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $295.00 to $275.00 and set a "positive" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $275.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. Finally, UBS Group set a $311.00 price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Royal Caribbean Cruises

In other Royal Caribbean Cruises news, Director Richard D. Fain sold 19,600 shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $253.10, for a total transaction of $4,960,760.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 165,421 shares of the company's stock, valued at $41,868,055.10. The trade was a 10.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 6.95% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Royal Caribbean Cruises

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Strs Ohio bought a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the first quarter worth about $26,348,000. Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 51.9% during the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 44,138 shares of the company's stock worth $9,068,000 after purchasing an additional 15,078 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 5.6% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 11,241 shares of the company's stock worth $2,310,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. Integrity Alliance LLC. bought a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the first quarter worth about $230,000. Finally, Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co lifted its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 200.0% during the first quarter. Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co now owns 37,500 shares of the company's stock worth $7,704,000 after purchasing an additional 25,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.53% of the company's stock.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:RCL traded down $2.01 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $267.69. The company had a trading volume of 1,977,269 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,287,333. The company has a current ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.39. The firm has a market cap of $72.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.04, a PEG ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 2.14. The company's 50-day moving average price is $229.03 and its 200-day moving average price is $233.71. Royal Caribbean Cruises has a one year low of $130.08 and a one year high of $279.89.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.71 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $4 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.02 billion. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a net margin of 17.46% and a return on equity of 48.97%. Royal Caribbean Cruises's revenue was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.77 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Royal Caribbean Cruises will post 14.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises announced that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Wednesday, February 12th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 1.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically a sign that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 3rd. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 4th will be given a $0.75 dividend. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.12%. Royal Caribbean Cruises's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 24.92%.

About Royal Caribbean Cruises

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.