Royal Caribbean Orders Another Icon Class Ship: Details
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Aug 27 2024
0mins
Should l Buy RCL?
Source: Benzinga
New Ship Order: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has ordered a fourth Icon Class ship from Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku, with delivery set for 2027, and options for two additional ships.
Financial Performance: The company reported second-quarter sales of $4.11 billion, surpassing analyst expectations, and shares have seen a slight increase in premarket trading.
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Analyst Views on RCL
Wall Street analysts forecast RCL stock price to rise
16 Analyst Rating
12 Buy
4 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 275.240
Low
275.00
Averages
327.80
High
400.00
Current: 275.240
Low
275.00
Averages
327.80
High
400.00
About RCL
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a cruise company, which owns and operates three global cruise brands: Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises. It also has an interest in TUI Cruises GmbH, which operates the German brands TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Its ships offer a selection of worldwide itineraries that call on approximately 1,000 destinations on all seven continents. Royal Caribbean offers cruises and land destinations that generally feature a casual ambiance, as well as a variety of activities and entertainment venues. Celebrity Cruises offers a range of itineraries to destinations, including Alaska, Asia, Australia, Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, the Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, New Zealand, the Panama Canal and South America, with cruise lengths ranging from three to 14 nights. It also offers a range of private land destinations through Perfect Day at CocoCay and Royal Beach Club collection.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Strong Bookings: Despite the pressure from high fuel prices, Royal Caribbean's bookings have exceeded levels from the same time last year, indicating sustained consumer demand for cruise travel, which lays a solid foundation for future revenue growth.
- Dividend Resumption: The company has reinstated its dividend at $6 per share for 2024, an increase from pre-pandemic levels, and raised it by 50% in February, reflecting confidence in financial recovery, with a dividend yield of 2.1%, surpassing the S&P 500's average of 1.1%.
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- Attractive Valuation: With a P/E ratio of 17, near multi-year lows, and the ongoing popularity of cruising, combined with its stable dividend, Royal Caribbean presents a compelling investment opportunity in the current market environment.
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- Industry Impact: The cruise industry, having partially recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, still grapples with high debt and margin pressures, particularly as NCLH's stock has plunged nearly 40% over the past five years, while RCL has excelled with over 233% returns in the same period.
- Future Outlook: NCLH warned last week that softer travel demand and geopolitical uncertainties are weighing on bookings in key markets, prompting additional cost-cutting measures to stabilize profits, indicating the fragility of the industry's recovery.
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