Sowell Financial Services LLC Sells 8,992 Shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. $RCL

Sowell Financial Services LLC cut its holdings in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) by 75.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,987 shares of the company’s stock after selling 8,992 shares during the quarter. Sowell Financial Services LLC’s holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises were worth $794,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Quadrant Capital Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 1.1% in the third quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 8,211 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,311,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. grew its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 5.9% during the third quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 160,952 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,791,000 after purchasing an additional 8,948 shares in the last quarter. 55 North Private Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 4.2% during the third quarter. 55 North Private Wealth LLC now owns 890 shares of the company’s stock worth $237,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC raised its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 3,990 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,061,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the period. Finally, Abel Hall LLC raised its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 10.0% during the 3rd quarter. Abel Hall LLC now owns 933 shares of the company’s stock valued at $248,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period. 87.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Down 3.4%

RCL opened at $276.49 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $73.95 billion, a PE ratio of 17.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.82. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $271.20 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $282.18. The company has a quick ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has a 52 week low of $222.22 and a 52 week high of $356.39.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $4.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.98 by $0.23. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a return on equity of 43.33% and a net margin of 23.54%. The firm had revenue of $4.83 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.82 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.38 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Royal Caribbean Cruises has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.730-17.870 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 6.260-6.360 EPS. Analysts forecast that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will post 17.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 8th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 17th were issued a dividend of $1.50 per share. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 17th. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 37.08%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently commented on RCL shares. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $370.00 price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $410.00 to $415.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $355.00 target price (down from $380.00) on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $350.35.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Royal Caribbean Cruises news, CEO Michael Bayley sold 12,811 shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 45,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,313,399.03. The trade was a 22.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 6.44% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Royal Caribbean Cruises News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Investor expectations remain constructive heading into the Q3 report, with Wall Street forecasting approximately $6.38 in earnings per share and an 8.7% increase in revenue. Strong cruise demand, higher ticket revenue and resilient onboard spending could support results. Royal Caribbean Cruises Dropped, But What Is Driving Attention Now?
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s recent operating momentum—including continued demand and pricing strength—provides a potential catalyst if RCL meets or exceeds Q3 expectations or raises its outlook. Royal Caribbean Gears Up to Report Q3 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: The stock had gained substantially over the prior month before the latest pullback, suggesting some profit-taking or heightened volatility as investors position for earnings. Analysts are also examining booking trends, pricing, occupancy and onboard revenue for evidence that growth can continue. Unveiling Royal Caribbean Q3 Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Crude oil’s rise to a five-month high is weighing on cruise operators because fuel is one of their largest operating expenses. Higher fuel costs could pressure margins across the industry, contributing to declines in RCL, Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line. Cruise Stocks Fall as Oil Price Hits Five-Month High
• Negative Sentiment: Expectations for stronger revenue are being offset by concerns about yield pressure and rising operating costs, which could limit earnings upside even if bookings remain healthy. Royal Caribbean Gears Up to Report Q3 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Susquehanna issued a pessimistic forecast for RCL, adding analyst caution to the stock’s near-term narrative and potentially reinforcing profit-taking ahead of earnings. Susquehanna Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Royal Caribbean Cruises

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.