Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the sixteen ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $184.13.

Several equities research analysts recently commented on RCL shares. StockNews.com upgraded Royal Caribbean Cruises from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $165.00 to $204.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 26th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $140.00 to $154.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 19th. Finally, Macquarie lifted their price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $165.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Price Performance

RCL opened at $179.89 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $162.97 and a 200-day moving average price of $152.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.20, a current ratio of 0.19 and a quick ratio of 0.17. The firm has a market cap of $46.29 billion, a PE ratio of 23.18, a P/E/G ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 2.61. Royal Caribbean Cruises has a 1 year low of $78.35 and a 1 year high of $184.41.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $3.21 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.76 by $0.45. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a return on equity of 52.49% and a net margin of 16.32%. The company had revenue of $4.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.05 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.82 EPS. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Royal Caribbean Cruises will post 11.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a — dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 11th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 20th will be paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 20th. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s payout ratio is currently 20.62%.

Insider Transactions at Royal Caribbean Cruises

In related news, Director Vagn O. Sorensen sold 5,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.50, for a total transaction of $919,300.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 25,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,095,164.50. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Vagn O. Sorensen sold 5,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.50, for a total transaction of $919,300.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 25,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,095,164.50. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Naftali Holtz purchased 5,350 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 2nd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $140.00 per share, for a total transaction of $749,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 48,256 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,755,840. This trade represents a 0.00 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 7.95% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Royal Caribbean Cruises

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Ignite Planners LLC lifted its holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 4.3% during the third quarter. Ignite Planners LLC now owns 1,856 shares of the company’s stock valued at $329,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. purchased a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the third quarter valued at $864,000. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the third quarter valued at $266,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 14.4% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,707 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,012,000 after purchasing an additional 719 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Czech National Bank lifted its holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 6.9% during the third quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 48,244 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,557,000 after purchasing an additional 3,127 shares in the last quarter. 87.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.