Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) Director Arne Alexander Wilhelmsen Sells 220,000 Shares of Company Stock

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) Director Arne Wilhelmsen sold 220,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $329.29, for a total transaction of $72,443,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 16,215,910 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,339,737,003.90. This trade represents a 1.34% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

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

• 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 value of $9,696,900.00.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of NYSE:RCL opened at $326.86 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $275.23 and a 200 day moving average price of $287.88. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has a 12 month low of $222.22 and a 12 month high of $356.39. The company has a current ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69. The company has a market cap of $87.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.69, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.88.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) last posted its 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 net margin of 23.78% and a return on equity of 43.40%. The company had revenue of $5.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.61 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $5.75 earnings per share. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will post 17.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 17th. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s dividend payout ratio is 35.52%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on RCL shares. William Blair reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. 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 research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Bank of America upgraded Royal Caribbean Cruises from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $330.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Northcoast Research decreased their target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $368.00 to $335.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $355.62.

Institutional Trading of Royal Caribbean Cruises

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Bell Investment Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the second quarter worth $29,000. NBH Bank purchased a new position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the second quarter worth about $30,000. Ancora Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. 87.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Company Profile

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.

Founded in 1968, the company is headquartered in Miami, Florida.