Russell Investments Group Ltd. Purchases 115,369 Shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. $RCL

Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) by 48.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 351,959 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 115,369 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned about 0.13% of Royal Caribbean Cruises worth $93,491,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. grew its stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 5.1% in the third quarter. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. now owns 33,611 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,924,000 after purchasing an additional 1,618 shares during the last quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co increased its holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 7.8% during the 3rd quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 2,474 shares of the company’s stock valued at $658,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the period. Bingham Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 110.6% during the 3rd quarter. Bingham Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,784 shares of the company’s stock valued at $474,000 after purchasing an additional 937 shares during the period. First Command Advisory Services Inc. increased its holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 20.5% during the 3rd quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 1,517 shares of the company’s stock valued at $405,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares during the period. Finally, Beutel Goodman & Co Ltd. raised its position in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 16.9% during the 3rd quarter. Beutel Goodman & Co Ltd. now owns 993,719 shares of the company’s stock valued at $264,190,000 after purchasing an additional 143,617 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.53% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Royal Caribbean Cruises

In related news, Director Maritza Montiel sold 400 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.21, for a total value of $122,884.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 13,202 shares in the company, valued at $4,055,786.42. This trade represents a 2.94% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Arne Wilhelmsen sold 35,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $325.50, for a total transaction of $11,392,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 15,524,236 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,053,138,818. The trade was a 0.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 912,074 shares of company stock worth $304,196,365 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 6.44% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Royal Caribbean Cruises

Investors following RCL have been watching these stories:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted RCL as a strong growth stock, which may attract investors seeking companies with growth characteristics. The article’s excerpt does not provide specific forecasts or new company results. Article: Here’s Why Royal Caribbean (RCL) is a Strong Growth Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: A separate analyst roundup discusses Royal Caribbean, but the provided headline and excerpt contain no specific rating, forecast, or recommendation to assess. Article: Analysts Offer Insights on Consumer Cyclical Companies
• Negative Sentiment: Three reports describe Royal Caribbean directors selling shares worth approximately $159.8 million in total. Large insider sales can weigh on sentiment, although the headlines do not explain the reasons for the transactions. Article: Director Sells $43,237,536.08 in Stock Article: Director Sells $59,457,945.12 in Stock Article: Director Sells $57,128,299.40 in Stock

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $410.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Deutsche Bank upgraded Royal Caribbean Cruises from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $299.00 to $330.00 in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $362.00 to $364.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Northcoast Research decreased their target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $368.00 to $335.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, September 24th. Finally, Susquehanna raised their price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $355.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 28th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $358.88.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of RCL stock traded up $1.36 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $323.36. 1,248,044 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,233,756. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has a 1 year low of $222.22 and a 1 year high of $356.39. The company’s 50 day moving average is $281.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $289.00. The company has a current ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69. The firm has a market cap of $86.49 billion, a PE ratio of 19.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.88.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $6.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.38 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $5.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.61 billion. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a return on equity of 43.40% and a net margin of 23.78%. The business’s revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $5.75 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will post 17.94 EPS for the current year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 17th were given a $1.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 17th. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s dividend payout ratio is currently 35.52%.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Company Profile

Royal Caribbean Group, formerly known as Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., is a global cruise vacation company. Its brands include Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises, which offer voyages ranging from large-ship family vacations to premium and luxury experiences. The company serves travelers through itineraries to destinations around the world, including the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska and Asia. Its vacation offerings combine onboard accommodations, dining and entertainment with shore excursions and visits to ports and private destinations.