Maritza Gomez Montiel Sells 1,385 Shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) Stock

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) Director Maritza Gomez Montiel sold 1,385 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $327.18, for a total value of $453,144.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 12,849 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,203,935.82. This represents a 9.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Performance

Shares of RCL opened at $310.20 on Friday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $301.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $303.20. The company has a quick ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.77. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has a 52 week low of $164.01 and a 52 week high of $366.50. The stock has a market cap of $83.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.87, a PEG ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 1.91.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $2.80 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.80. The firm had revenue of $4.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.28 billion. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a return on equity of 45.06% and a net margin of 23.80%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 13.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.63 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will post 14.9 EPS for the current year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Wednesday, December 10th that allows the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to buy up to 2.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a $1.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. This is an increase from Royal Caribbean Cruises’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.00. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s payout ratio is currently 25.62%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Royal Caribbean Cruises

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. California Public Employees Retirement System increased its holdings in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 11.1% during the 2nd quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 433,018 shares of the company’s stock worth $135,595,000 after buying an additional 43,184 shares during the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the third quarter worth approximately $4,806,000. Marion Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the second quarter worth $291,000. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. raised its position in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 7.4% in the second quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 180,556 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,539,000 after purchasing an additional 12,475 shares during the period. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 253.7% in the 3rd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 556,061 shares of the company’s stock valued at $179,241,000 after purchasing an additional 398,849 shares during the last quarter. 87.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on RCL. Wall Street Zen downgraded Royal Caribbean Cruises from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 1st. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Mizuho set a $379.00 target price on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report on Friday, January 30th. UBS Group cut their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $353.00 to $304.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $373.00 to $383.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Sunday, February 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Royal Caribbean Cruises presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $348.29.

Royal Caribbean Cruises News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Solid fundamentals: RCL reported Q4 EPS that met estimates, posted strong margins and record net income for the year; the board boosted the quarterly dividend and authorized a $2.0B buyback — supports longer‑term shareholder value. MarketBeat RCL
• Positive Sentiment: Governance/industry expertise added: appointment of Christopher J. Wiernicki to the board increases maritime and regulatory experience, which could help operations and risk oversight. Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/media attention is favorable overall — most sell‑side analysts remain constructive with an average price target above current levels, and outlets are debating whether RCL is undervalued or fairly priced. Forbes Zacks
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional ownership and recent YTD performance remain supportive (high institutional ownership and positive YTD returns), which can limit downside if fundamentals stay intact. MarketBeat institutional
• Negative Sentiment: Rising oil: crude near multi‑month highs raises the risk of higher unhedged fuel costs — with RCL’s notable debt load, a sustained oil move can compress margins, cash flow and valuation multiples. Benzinga oil article
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider selling: directors executed sizable sales over the past week (notably Arne A. Wilhelmsen’s 180k and 100k share filings and other director disposals), which markets often view as a negative signal for near‑term sentiment. Wilhelmsen SEC Filing Benzinga sale summary
• Negative Sentiment: Additional smaller director sales (Laura Bethge, Maritza Gomez Montiel) amplify the impression of insider disposition in the same window. Bethge SEC Filing Gomez Montiel SEC Filing

Royal Caribbean Cruises Company 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.