We recently compiled a list of the Jim Cramer’s Best Performers List: 12 Stocks Cramer is Talking About. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) stands against the other best performers on Jim Cramer’s list.
On a recent episode of Mad Money, Jim Cramer took a moment to celebrate the two-year anniversary of the current bull market. He mentioned that this particular bull market has been quiet and gentle, which he attributes to the unusual circumstances surrounding its rise. “The whole first year of this bull’s life was an anomaly. That’s because the Fed was furiously tightening and the market went up anyway,” Cramer explained.
He emphasized that for the past two years, opportunities have been evident, stating, “Every night I say there’s always a bull market somewhere, and for the last two years, well, it’s been right in front of you.”
Cramer then went on to discuss the lead performing stocks and ended the segment, saying:
“The bottom line, if you’re going to buy these stocks, I’d go first with Nvidia, then with Broadcom, and finally Fair Isaac, if only because we need something that’s not connected to the data center, even as we know, it will remain a strong story for the ages.”
Cramer also advised investors to shift their focus away from the consumer price index (CPI) report, suggesting that its significance has diminished since the Federal Reserve began cutting rates.
“We had to be concerned about this stuff when the Fed was on the warpath, either raising rates or leaving them higher for longer. Now, though, the Fed is your friend, so I wouldn’t obsess about the details.”
He did emphasize, however, that the monthly labor report remains important in the current climate. He remarked on the tendency for many to become “Fed watchers,” suggesting that this reliance on government data can detract from the deeper analysis of individual companies. Cramer referenced Austan D. Goolsbee, president of the Chicago Fed, who advised against an overemphasis on CPI data, as the Fed is unlikely to base decisions on it. Cramer explained:
“When the Fed’s raising rates in order to stamp out inflation, it can be very important. When we’re in a rate hike cycle, you’re trying to figure out when that’s going to end. But we’re not in that kind of cycle anymore. We’re in a rate cutting cycle.”
Cramer explained that last month the Fed implemented a double rate cut, setting a downward trend that is expected to continue. He added:
“Sure, if we had a huge spike in the CPI this morning, then maybe the Fed would change its stance. But that would have to be an extreme reading. And there’s nothing extreme about today’s 2.4% inflation number, just a tick above the expected 2.3, still down from the 2.5% reading from the prior month.”
Cramer concluded with a strong reminder about the nature of investing. “Forget the macro, people. It’s not that meaningful when the Fed’s cutting rates. And keep your eyes on the prize: Earnings,” he urged. Ultimately, he reinforced that earnings dictate stock prices in the long run, and that’s where the focus should be for those looking to make money in the market.
Our Methodology
For this article, we compiled a list of 12 stocks with the biggest gains over the past 2 years that were mentioned by Jim Cramer during his episode of Mad Money on October 10. We listed the stocks in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiment as of the second quarter, which was taken from Insider Monkey’s database of more than 900 hedge funds.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
An aerial view of a luxurious cruise ship, surrounded by the blue horizon.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 48
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) was part of Cramer’s list. He discussed the sentiment around cruise lines at present compared to the pandemic and mentioned that they are a bargain.
“The cruise lines are as loved now as they were hated during COVID and the best performer of the group, as I say almost every night because you get a lot of questions about these, is Royal Caribbean, RCL. Cruises are a tremendous bargain, while hotel rooms, rates, and other forms of entertainment have just gotten to be too expensive. By the way, airline tickets, wow. There’s not a lot of new capacity coming on in the fleet business. They take forever to build these ships. Forever. Bookings are explosive. You can still buy the stock.”
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) operates as a global cruise line, managing several well-known brands including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises. In second the quarter, the company welcomed just over 2 million passengers aboard its vessels. The company reported an adjusted EPS of $3.21, surpassing initial guidance. The strong performance was attributed to higher pricing due to close-in demand and sustained onboard revenue, along with the favorable timing of expenses, which contributed approximately $0.15 to the results.
As of June 30, the customer deposit balance stood at an impressive $6.2 billion. The CEO mentioned that the company achieved financial targets 18 months ahead of schedule, indicating a focus on capturing a larger share of the burgeoning $1.9 trillion global vacation market.
With ongoing strong demand for its vacation offerings, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) has raised its full-year 2024 adjusted EPS guidance to a range of $11.35 to $11.45, which is a significant year-over-year growth of 68%. The company is also looking to the future with an exciting lineup of new ships on order, including the Celebrity Xcel set to launch in late 2025, and Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas debuting in mid-2025. Additionally, its plans include a third Icon class ship slated for 2026 and a seventh Oasis class ship expected in 2028.
Overall RCL ranks 9th on Jim Cramer’s list of best performing stocks. While we acknowledge the potential of RCL as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than RCL but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
Read Next: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA ‘Has Become A Wasteland’.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.