China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. Trims Stock Position in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. $RCL

China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. trimmed its position in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) by 17.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 8,399 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,828 shares during the quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises were worth $2,721,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in RCL. Northern Financial Advisors Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $251,000. Fiera Capital Corp increased its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 75.2% during the third quarter. Fiera Capital Corp now owns 49,151 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,904,000 after acquiring an additional 21,101 shares during the last quarter. Muhlenkamp & Co. Inc. purchased a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the third quarter valued at $864,000. Synovus Financial Corp raised its position in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 48.0% in the third quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 3,083 shares of the company’s stock valued at $998,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares during the period. Finally, NewEdge Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 3.1% in the 3rd quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 17,159 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,552,000 after purchasing an additional 522 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.53% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Laura H. Bethge sold 7,854 shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $326.21, for a total value of $2,562,053.34. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 32,786 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,695,121.06. This trade represents a 19.33% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Arne Alexander Wilhelmsen sold 180,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $325.09, for a total transaction of $58,516,200.00. Following the sale, the director owned 17,887,507 shares in the company, valued at $5,815,049,650.63. The trade was a 1.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 515,722 shares of company stock worth $168,242,004 over the last three months. Company insiders own 6.95% of the company’s stock.

More Royal Caribbean Cruises News

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 Stock Down 2.7%

Shares of RCL opened at $310.20 on Friday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $301.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $303.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.77, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a current ratio of 0.18. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has a 1 year low of $164.01 and a 1 year high of $366.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $83.92 billion, a PE ratio of 19.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 1.91.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $2.80 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $2.80. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a net margin of 23.80% and a return on equity of 45.06%. The firm had revenue of $4.26 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.28 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.63 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will post 14.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Wednesday, December 10th that permits the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to repurchase up to 2.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Increases Dividend

The business 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. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. This is a boost from Royal Caribbean Cruises’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.00. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 25.62%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

RCL has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. William Blair reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Tigress Financial boosted their price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $415.00 to $425.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $368.00 to $371.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $373.00 to $383.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Sunday, February 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Royal Caribbean Cruises currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $348.29.

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.