Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) Stock: Insider Arne Alexander Wilhelmsen Sells 150,000 Shares

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) Director Arne Wilhelmsen sold 150,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $338.11, for a total value of $50,716,500.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 15,559,236 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,260,733,283.96. The trade was a 0.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

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

• On Thursday, November 12th, Arne Wilhelmsen sold 35,000 shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $325.50, for a total transaction of $11,392,500.00.
• On Tuesday, November 10th, Arne Wilhelmsen sold 168,530 shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $338.98, for a total transaction of $57,128,299.40.
• On Monday, November 9th, Arne Wilhelmsen sold 175,672 shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $338.46, for a total transaction of $59,457,945.12.
• On Friday, November 6th, Arne Wilhelmsen sold 132,472 shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $326.39, for a total transaction of $43,237,536.08.
• On Thursday, November 5th, Arne Wilhelmsen sold 30,000 shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $323.23, for a total transaction of $9,696,900.00.
• 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 transaction of $72,443,800.00.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:RCL traded up $1.36 during trading on Friday, hitting $323.36. 1,248,044 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,233,756. The business’s 50 day moving average is $281.51 and its 200-day moving average is $289.00. The company has a market capitalization of $86.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has a 1-year low of $222.22 and a 1-year high of $356.39.

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

Royal Caribbean Cruises Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on RCL. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $358.00 to $361.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 28th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $410.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Deutsche Bank raised Royal Caribbean Cruises from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $299.00 to $330.00 in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Finally, Freedom Capital lowered shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $358.88.

Key Royal Caribbean Cruises News

Here’s some of the latest news about RCL:

• 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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the second quarter worth $6,549,422,000. State Street Corp raised its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 1.1% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 10,806,077 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,888,908,000 after buying an additional 116,943 shares during the last quarter. Sanders Capital LLC raised its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 85.7% during the third quarter. Sanders Capital LLC now owns 4,835,116 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,285,464,000 after buying an additional 2,231,864 shares during the last quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA acquired a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the second quarter valued at $669,804,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 2.0% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,957,044 shares of the company’s stock valued at $538,393,000 after buying an additional 38,748 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.53% of the company’s stock.

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.