Significant ETF Inflows: IWR, HWM, VRT, RCL
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 05 2025
0mins
Should l Buy RCL?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
52-Week Range Analysis: IWR's share price has a 52-week low of $73.168 and a high of $97.87, with the last trade recorded at $97.52.
Understanding ETFs: Exchange traded funds (ETFs) function like stocks, where investors buy and sell "units" that can be created or destroyed based on demand.
Monitoring ETF Flows: Weekly tracking of shares outstanding helps identify ETFs with significant inflows (new units created) or outflows (units destroyed), impacting the underlying holdings.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent Nasdaq, Inc.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy RCL?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
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: 259.480
Low
275.00
Averages
327.80
High
400.00
Current: 259.480
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.
- Stock Performance: Carnival Corp. (CCL) closed at $25.77 on Tuesday, up 0.39%, despite facing industry-wide pressures from rising fuel costs, indicating investor focus on company-specific factors.
- Surge in Trading Volume: The trading volume reached 60.7 million shares, 133% above the three-month average of 26.1 million shares, reflecting strong market interest in Carnival's stock, which may signal potential volatility in the near term.
- Industry Challenges: Although Carnival's strong Q1 profits provided some reassurance to Wall Street, the stock has fallen about 20% over the past three months due to surging oil prices, highlighting a broader industry red flag.
- Uncertain Outlook: Carnival lowered its 2026 forecast when announcing Q1 earnings and, without hedging fuel costs, faces operational uncertainties in a high oil price environment, especially with restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
See More
- Quarterly Dividend Announcement: The Board of Directors of Royal Caribbean Group declared a quarterly dividend of $1.50 per common share, payable on July 2, 2026, to shareholders of record as of June 3, 2026, reflecting the company's ongoing commitment to shareholder returns.
- Business Expansion Plans: The company aims to increase its private destinations from three to eight by 2028 through its Perfect Day and Royal Beach Club collections, which is expected to enhance customer experiences and drive future revenue growth.
- New Market Entry: Royal Caribbean Group will enter the river cruising market in 2027 with Celebrity River Cruises, further diversifying its product offerings to meet evolving consumer demands and enhance market competitiveness.
- Industry Recognition: The company was named to Fortune's 2026 World's Most Admired Companies list and Forbes' 2026 Best American Companies list, highlighting its leadership position in the industry and commitment to sustainability.
See More
- Disappointing Earnings: Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) reported a 10% revenue increase to $2.33 billion in Q1, falling short of the 11% growth analysts expected, leading to a 9% drop in stock price on Monday, reflecting market concerns about its future performance.
- Significant Net Income Growth: Despite the revenue miss, NCL's adjusted net income more than doubled to $108 million, or $0.23 per share, surpassing the $0.14 analysts anticipated, indicating potential in cost management.
- Bleak Outlook: NCL now expects adjusted earnings per share between $1.45 and $1.79 for 2026, a drastic 32% cut from the previous forecast of $2.38, while projecting a 3% to 5% decline in net yields, highlighting severe industry challenges ahead.
- Intensified Industry Competition: In stark contrast, Royal Caribbean (RCL) is forecasting a 2% to 3% increase in net yields, showcasing its robust market position, which has resulted in NCL being the worst performer among the four largest cruise operators.
See More
- Market Decline: The S&P 500 index fell by 0.41%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 1.13%, and the Nasdaq 100 index decreased by 0.21%, reflecting investor concerns over escalating tensions in the Middle East, which dampened market sentiment.
- Oil Price Surge: WTI crude oil prices surged over 4% following exchanges of fire between the US and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, raising inflation expectations and pushing bond yields higher, with the 10-year T-note yield reaching a five-week high of 4.46%.
- Strong Economic Data: US March factory orders rose by 1.5% month-over-month, exceeding expectations of 0.6%, marking the largest increase in four months, indicating economic resilience that could provide support to the stock market.
- Earnings Optimism: As of Monday, 82% of the 322 S&P 500 companies that reported Q1 earnings exceeded estimates, with projected earnings growth of 12% year-over-year for Q1, although excluding the technology sector, the growth is only 3%, highlighting performance disparities across sectors.
See More
- Significant Stock Decline: Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) saw its stock drop by 8.56% to $17.20 today, primarily due to a sharp cut in its 2026 guidance despite beating Q1 estimates, raising investor concerns about future profitability.
- Surge in Trading Volume: Trading volume reached 53.9 million shares, approximately 134% above the three-month average of 23 million shares, indicating heightened market attention on the company's outlook amid rising fuel costs and weak demand.
- Cost-Saving Initiatives: Management stressed that structural initiatives should lead to annualized savings of about $125 million going forward, although investor sentiment remains pessimistic, particularly with global tensions impacting demand.
- Uncertain Industry Outlook: Rising fuel costs due to Middle East conflicts have led both Norwegian and competitors like Carnival Cruise to lower their 2026 earnings forecasts, creating doubts about demand and pricing power in the cruise industry.
See More
- Market Volatility: The S&P 500 index fell by 0.04%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average decreased by 0.42%, while the Nasdaq 100 index rose by 0.19%, indicating market fluctuations amid heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, leading to cautious investor sentiment.
- Oil Price Recovery: WTI crude oil prices slightly increased following an unverified report of two missiles hitting a US patrol boat, despite US Central Command stating no US ships were struck, highlighting the market's sensitivity to geopolitical risks.
- Corporate Earnings Optimism: So far, 82% of the 317 S&P 500 companies that reported earnings exceeded expectations, with Q1 earnings projected to rise by 12% year-over-year, demonstrating corporate resilience driven by AI investments, which may support the stock market.
- Interest Rate Expectations Shift: The market discounts only a 3% chance of a 25 basis point rate cut at the upcoming FOMC meeting in June, while the ECB's rate hike expectations stand at 93%, reflecting differing investor outlooks on future monetary policy.
See More











