Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL)

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) saw unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Traders acquired 56,102 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 390% compared to the average daily volume of 11,440 call options.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Performance

Shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises stock opened at $171.61 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 0.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.20. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $160.31 and its two-hundred day moving average is $148.88. Royal Caribbean Cruises has a 52 week low of $78.35 and a 52 week high of $173.40. The company has a market capitalization of $44.16 billion, a PE ratio of 22.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 2.61.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $3.21 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.76 by $0.45. The firm had revenue of $4.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.05 billion. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a net margin of 16.32% and a return on equity of 52.49%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.82 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Royal Caribbean Cruises will post 11.65 earnings per share for the current year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a — dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 11th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 20th will be given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 20th. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s payout ratio is presently 20.62%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Macquarie increased their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $165.00 to $189.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Susquehanna increased their price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Tigress Financial lifted their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $155.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Citigroup increased their target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $165.00 to $204.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $140.00 to $154.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $182.31.

Insider Transactions at Royal Caribbean Cruises

In other news, insider Laura H. Bethge sold 3,073 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $168.71, for a total value of $518,445.83. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 27,388 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,620,629.48. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, Director Vagn O. Sorensen sold 5,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.50, for a total transaction of $919,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 25,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,095,164.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Laura H. Bethge sold 3,073 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $168.71, for a total transaction of $518,445.83. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 27,388 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,620,629.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 7.95% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Royal Caribbean Cruises

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. D1 Capital Partners L.P. lifted its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 105.7% during the second quarter. D1 Capital Partners L.P. now owns 1,512,103 shares of the company’s stock valued at $241,075,000 after buying an additional 777,103 shares during the last quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the fourth quarter worth about $79,392,000. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the first quarter worth about $66,279,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 24.3% in the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,048,501 shares of the company’s stock valued at $326,616,000 after purchasing an additional 400,565 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Junto Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 4th quarter worth approximately $47,950,000. Institutional investors own 87.53% of the company’s stock.

About Royal Caribbean Cruises

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. operates as a cruise company worldwide. The company operates cruises under the Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises brands, which comprise a range of itineraries. As of February 21, 2024, it operated 65 ships. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.