Heartland Bank & Trust Co Invests $810,000 in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. $RCL

Heartland Bank & Trust Co acquired a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 2,503 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $810,000.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the second quarter valued at about $38,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 29.1% during the second quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 142 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 85.2% in the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 150 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. Finally, Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the second quarter worth about $58,000. 87.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Royal Caribbean Cruises

In related news, CEO Michael W. Bayley sold 80,000 shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $326.82, for a total value of $26,145,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 58,108 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,990,856.56. This trade represents a 57.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Maritza Gomez Montiel sold 1,385 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $327.18, for a total transaction of $453,144.30. Following the sale, the director directly owned 12,849 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,203,935.82. This represents a 9.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 722,164 shares of company stock valued at $233,668,845 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 6.95% of the company’s stock.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Performance

Shares of RCL opened at $315.34 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.77, a current ratio of 0.18 and a quick ratio of 0.16. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $302.05 and its 200-day moving average is $303.19. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has a 12-month low of $164.01 and a 12-month high of $366.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $85.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.91.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $2.80 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.80. The firm had revenue of $4.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.28 billion. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a net margin of 23.80% and a return on equity of 45.06%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.63 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will post 14.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises declared that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Wednesday, December 10th that permits the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 2.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a $1.50 dividend. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. This is a positive change from Royal Caribbean Cruises’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.00. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s payout ratio is presently 25.62%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

RCL has been the topic of several research analyst reports. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $380.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $360.00 price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Wall Street Zen downgraded Royal Caribbean Cruises from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Friday, December 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $348.29.

Royal Caribbean Cruises News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.50 (annualized $6.00); ex‑dividend/record/pay dates disclosed — a cash return boost that supports shareholder sentiment. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Board-authorized $2.0 billion share buyback program—management signaling conviction in long‑term value, which can support the stock and EPS. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Board upgrade — appointment of Christopher J. Wiernicki adds maritime/regulatory expertise that could improve governance and operational oversight. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains constructive: several firms have raised targets or reiterated buys (consensus price target near $348), which can attract investor interest but is not an immediate catalyst. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive media/momentum stories (Zacks, FXEmpire) highlight RCL as a long‑term value/flow beneficiary — may support continued inflows but not a near‑term driver by itself. Read More. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Large, repeated insider selling by director Arne Alexander Wilhelmsen across Feb. 13–19 (multiple transactions totaling hundreds of thousands of shares, tens of millions of dollars) — a clear short‑term negative signal that has pressured the stock. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Additional insider disposals (Laura H. Bethge, Maritza Gomez Montiel) in the same window amplify the selling signal and raise near‑term concern about insider conviction. Read More. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Rising crude / fuel costs: coverage flags that oil near multi‑month highs can hit margins quickly for cruise operators (especially with notable leverage), creating downside risk to earnings and multiples. Read More.

About Royal Caribbean Cruises

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE: RCL), operating as part of the Royal Caribbean Group, is a global cruise company that develops, markets and operates passenger cruise ships. The company operates multiple consumer-facing cruise brands that offer short- and long-duration itineraries and a range of onboard experiences. Its core activities include itineraries and voyage operations, guest services and hospitality, onboard food and beverage, entertainment and recreation programming, and the commercial activities needed to sell and support cruises through both direct and travel‑agent channels.

Royal Caribbean’s ships serve a broad set of geographies worldwide, regularly deploying vessels in the Caribbean, North America (including Alaska), Europe, Asia, Australia and South America.