Arne Alexander Wilhelmsen Sells 100,000 Shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) Stock

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) Director Arne Alexander Wilhelmsen sold 100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $326.58, for a total value of $32,658,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 18,067,507 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,900,486,436.06. The trade was a 0.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

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

• On Tuesday, February 17th, Arne Alexander Wilhelmsen sold 180,000 shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $325.09, for a total value of $58,516,200.00.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Trading Down 2.7%

NYSE RCL opened at $310.20 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $83.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.87, a PEG ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 1.91. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $301.31 and a 200 day simple moving average of $303.20. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has a 12 month low of $164.01 and a 12 month high of $366.50.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) last released 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. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a net margin of 23.80% and a return on equity of 45.06%. The business had revenue of $4.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.28 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.63 EPS. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s revenue was up 13.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will post 14.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a dividend of $1.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 25.62%.

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

Key Headlines Impacting Royal Caribbean Cruises

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Royal Caribbean Cruises

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Montag A & Associates Inc. lifted its position in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 184.4% in the fourth quarter. Montag A & Associates Inc. now owns 91 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. bought a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC bought a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Institutional investors own 87.53% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

RCL has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $310.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $321.00 to $318.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $368.00 to $371.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and set a $380.00 target price on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Friday, January 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Royal Caribbean Cruises presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average 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.