Royal Caribbean Cruises Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NYSE:RCL)

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Tuesday. Stock traders acquired 19,572 put options on the stock. This is an increase of 169% compared to the typical volume of 7,284 put options.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Price Performance

Shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises stock traded up $19.18 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $299.78. 3,205,904 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,536,814. Royal Caribbean Cruises has a 1 year low of $222.22 and a 1 year high of $356.39. The company has a market capitalization of $80.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03. The business has a fifty day moving average of $272.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of $286.88.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $6.57 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.38 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $5.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.61 billion. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a return on equity of 43.33% and a net margin of 23.54%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $5.75 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Royal Caribbean Cruises will post 17.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 8th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 17th were issued a $1.50 dividend. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 17th. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 37.08%.

Royal Caribbean Cruises News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Royal Caribbean Cruises this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Caribbean reported third-quarter adjusted EPS of $6.57, ahead of the $6.38 analyst consensus and up from $5.75 a year earlier. GAAP EPS was $6.45, while net income rose to $1.73 billion from $1.58 billion. Royal Caribbean Group Third Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its 2026 adjusted EPS forecast to $17.85-$17.95, reflecting the earnings beat and strong close-in demand. The company expects fourth-quarter adjusted EPS of $3.48-$3.58 and said results exceeded its prior guidance. Royal Caribbean Stock Jumps After Earnings and Raised Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue increased 8.8% year over year to $5.59 billion, supported by strong demand. Lower costs due to timing also helped quarterly profitability, and the company has now recorded multiple consecutive EPS beats. Royal Caribbean Earnings Beat and Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly revenue was slightly below the $5.61 billion consensus estimate, meaning the earnings outperformance was driven more by profitability and cost timing than by a major sales beat. Royal Caribbean Key Metrics Compared With Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Higher-than-anticipated fuel costs partially offset the improved outlook, preserving a cost risk for future quarters. In addition, traders purchased 19,572 put options—about 169% above typical volume—indicating increased hedging or bearish speculation, although options activity alone does not establish a fundamental change.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

RCL has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $370.00 price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $355.00 price objective (down from $380.00) on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $305.00 to $330.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $410.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Northcoast Research reduced their target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $368.00 to $335.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Royal Caribbean Cruises currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $350.50.

Insider Activity

In other Royal Caribbean Cruises news, CEO Michael Bayley sold 12,811 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.99, for a total value of $4,048,147.89. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 45,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,313,399.03. This represents a 22.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 6.44% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of RCL. 55 North Private Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter. 55 North Private Wealth LLC now owns 890 shares of the company’s stock worth $237,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO. raised its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 2,647 shares of the company’s stock worth $841,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. EWA LLC grew its holdings in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 4.6% during the first quarter. EWA LLC now owns 961 shares of the company’s stock valued at $265,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Commonwealth Financial Services LLC boosted its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 4.1% during the 1st quarter. Commonwealth Financial Services LLC now owns 1,171 shares of the company’s stock valued at $322,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Platform Technology Partners increased its holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 4.9% in the 2nd quarter. Platform Technology Partners now owns 982 shares of the company’s stock worth $312,000 after buying an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. 87.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Royal Caribbean Cruises

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., doing business as Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL), is a global cruise company that operates vacation cruises and related travel experiences. Its fleet visits destinations across the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Asia, Australia, and other regions, with itineraries that typically include onboard entertainment, dining, accommodations, recreational activities, and shore excursions.

The company’s principal brands include Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises.