Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) Director Sells $9,696,900.00 in Stock

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) Director Arne Wilhelmsen sold 30,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $323.23, for a total value of $9,696,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 16,185,910 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,231,771,689.30. This trade represents a 0.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Arne Alexander Wilhelmsen also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, November 4th, Arne Wilhelmsen sold 220,000 shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $329.29, for a total value of $72,443,800.00.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Down 0.1%

Royal Caribbean Cruises stock opened at $326.86 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $87.43 billion, a PE ratio of 19.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69, a quick ratio of 0.19 and a current ratio of 0.22. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has a one year low of $222.22 and a one year high of $356.39. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $275.23 and a 200 day moving average of $287.88.

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 business had revenue of $5.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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 for the quarter was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $5.75 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 17th were given a dividend of $1.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 17th. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s dividend payout ratio is presently 35.52%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Royal Caribbean Cruises

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in RCL. IMG Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Foresight Capital Management Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Lynch Investment Planning LLC bought a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. CrossGen Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the third quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Main Street Group LTD purchased a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 1st quarter worth $28,000. 87.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on RCL. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Tigress Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $425.00 target price on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $362.00 to $364.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 29th. William Blair reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Susquehanna boosted their target price on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $355.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Royal Caribbean Cruises currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $355.62.

About Royal Caribbean Cruises

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.

Founded in 1968, the company is headquartered in Miami, Florida.