Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) Stake Lifted by Capital Group Private Client Services Inc.

Capital Group Private Client Services Inc. boosted its position in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) by 6.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 483,226 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 28,741 shares during the period. Royal Caribbean Cruises makes up about 1.0% of Capital Group Private Client Services Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest holding. Capital Group Private Client Services Inc.’s holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises were worth $111,475,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. grew its stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 33.3% in the 3rd quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 300 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC grew its position in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 175.0% in the third quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC now owns 319 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,000 after buying an additional 203 shares during the last quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in the third quarter valued at $7,107,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 3rd quarter valued at $109,000. Finally, American Trust bought a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 3rd quarter worth $204,000. 87.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Barclays boosted their target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $287.00 to $308.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Monday, March 31st. They set a “hold” rating and a $230.00 price objective for the company. Argus lifted their target price on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $280.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $253.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Susquehanna reaffirmed a “positive” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Tuesday, March 25th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Royal Caribbean Cruises currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $276.95.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Performance

RCL stock opened at $192.52 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $218.83 and a two-hundred day moving average of $225.35. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has a 12 month low of $127.10 and a 12 month high of $277.08. The company has a market capitalization of $51.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.01, a P/E/G ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 2.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 0.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.39.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 28th. The company reported $1.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.13. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a net margin of 17.46% and a return on equity of 48.97%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.25 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will post 14.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 4th. Investors of record on Friday, March 7th were paid a $0.75 dividend. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.56%. This is an increase from Royal Caribbean Cruises’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 7th. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.06%.

Royal Caribbean Cruises announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, February 12th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 1.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Jason T. Liberty sold 58,000 shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.95, for a total value of $15,193,100.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 143,214 shares in the company, valued at $37,514,907.30. This trade represents a 28.83 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Laura H. Bethge sold 14,992 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.86, for a total transaction of $3,925,805.12. Following the sale, the insider now owns 21,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,539,648.30. This trade represents a 41.48 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 109,492 shares of company stock worth $28,571,705. 7.95% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Company Profile

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.