Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) Downgraded by Freedom Capital to “Hold”

Freedom Capital cut shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Wednesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on RCL. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $376.00 to $341.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $370.00 price objective on the stock. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $350.00 to $372.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a report on Wednesday. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $327.00 to $362.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, William Blair reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Tuesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Royal Caribbean Cruises currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $350.50.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Performance

Shares of RCL opened at $322.15 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $86.40 billion, a PE ratio of 19.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.76. The company has a current ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $294.60 and a 200-day moving average price of $289.60. Royal Caribbean Cruises has a 12-month low of $232.10 and a 12-month high of $366.50.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $4.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.98 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $4.83 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.82 billion. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a net margin of 23.54% and a return on equity of 43.33%. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.38 earnings per share. 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. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Royal Caribbean Cruises will post 17.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, June 3rd were 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 was Wednesday, June 3rd. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s payout ratio is presently 37.08%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Royal Caribbean Cruises

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Capital International Investors lifted its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 9.8% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 36,165,358 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,088,156,000 after purchasing an additional 3,215,382 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in the fourth quarter worth about $456,752,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its holdings in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 25,747.4% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,202,161 shares of the company’s stock worth $335,307,000 after buying an additional 1,197,510 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 20,176,544 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,627,669,000 after acquiring an additional 920,042 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Janus Henderson Group PLC lifted its stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 23.9% in the 4th quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 2,416,425 shares of the company’s stock valued at $673,990,000 after acquiring an additional 465,401 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.53% of the company’s stock.

Royal Caribbean Cruises News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Caribbean reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of $4.21 per share, above the $3.98 analyst consensus, while revenue of $4.83 billion broadly matched estimates and increased 6.5% year over year. Royal Caribbean earnings and outlook article
• Positive Sentiment: Management maintained its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook of $17.73–$17.87 and reiterated 1.75%–2.25% net yield growth. Record booking volumes and pricing, particularly from higher-margin guests, support continued earnings momentum. Royal Caribbean 2026 forecast article
• Positive Sentiment: Investors continue to point to premium offerings, private destinations, fleet expansion, river cruises and substantial share repurchases—including approximately $1 billion in first-half buybacks—as longer-term catalysts. Royal Caribbean growth drivers article
• Neutral Sentiment: Royal Caribbean appears relatively insulated from weaker consumer vacation demand because affluent travelers are continuing to pay for cruises and premium experiences. Analysts comparing RCL with Carnival see resilient demand and strong bookings across the industry. Royal Caribbean cruise pricing article
• Negative Sentiment: Royal Caribbean reduced its 2026 revenue-growth outlook from 10% to approximately 9% and narrowed reported net-yield guidance, partly reflecting itinerary changes and geopolitical effects on bookings. European cruise demand also faces potential headwinds. Royal Caribbean Q2 outlook article
• Negative Sentiment: Higher fuel costs, roughly $23 billion of debt and heavy capital spending create downside risks if travel demand weakens. Morgan Stanley raised its target to $300 but kept an “equal weight” rating, implying the current valuation already reflects much of the company’s growth outlook. Morgan Stanley Royal Caribbean price target report

Royal Caribbean Cruises Company Profile

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.