Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) – What Are Brokerages Saying About This Stock?

Shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-eight ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and twenty have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $350.35.

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on RCL shares. Loop Capital boosted their target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $304.00 to $327.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Argus raised their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $330.00 to $375.00 in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Weiss Ratings raised Royal Caribbean Cruises from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Royal Caribbean Cruises from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $305.00 to $330.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $410.00 to $415.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th.

Insider Activity at Royal Caribbean Cruises

In related news, CEO Michael Bayley sold 12,811 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.99, for a total value of $4,048,147.89. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 45,297 shares in the company, valued at $14,313,399.03. The trade was a 22.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 6.44% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Royal Caribbean Cruises

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bell Investment Advisors Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in the second quarter valued at about $29,000. NBH Bank purchased a new position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Ancora Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. 87.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Royal Caribbean Cruises News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Investor expectations remain constructive heading into the Q3 report, with Wall Street forecasting approximately $6.38 in earnings per share and an 8.7% increase in revenue. Strong cruise demand, higher ticket revenue and resilient onboard spending could support results. Royal Caribbean Cruises Dropped, But What Is Driving Attention Now?
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s recent operating momentum—including continued demand and pricing strength—provides a potential catalyst if RCL meets or exceeds Q3 expectations or raises its outlook. Royal Caribbean Gears Up to Report Q3 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: The stock had gained substantially over the prior month before the latest pullback, suggesting some profit-taking or heightened volatility as investors position for earnings. Analysts are also examining booking trends, pricing, occupancy and onboard revenue for evidence that growth can continue. Unveiling Royal Caribbean Q3 Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Crude oil’s rise to a five-month high is weighing on cruise operators because fuel is one of their largest operating expenses. Higher fuel costs could pressure margins across the industry, contributing to declines in RCL, Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line. Cruise Stocks Fall as Oil Price Hits Five-Month High
• Negative Sentiment: Expectations for stronger revenue are being offset by concerns about yield pressure and rising operating costs, which could limit earnings upside even if bookings remain healthy. Royal Caribbean Gears Up to Report Q3 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Susquehanna issued a pessimistic forecast for RCL, adding analyst caution to the stock’s near-term narrative and potentially reinforcing profit-taking ahead of earnings. Susquehanna Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Royal Caribbean Cruises

Royal Caribbean Cruises Price Performance

Shares of NYSE RCL opened at $276.49 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 0.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03. Royal Caribbean Cruises has a twelve month low of $222.22 and a twelve month high of $356.39. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $271.20 and a two-hundred day moving average of $282.23. The stock has a market cap of $73.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.09, a P/E/G ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.82.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $4.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.98 by $0.23. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a net margin of 23.54% and a return on equity of 43.33%. The business had revenue of $4.83 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.82 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.38 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. On average, research analysts forecast that Royal Caribbean Cruises will post 17.78 earnings per share for the current year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 17th were paid a dividend of $1.50 per share. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 17th. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s payout ratio is 37.08%.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Company Profile

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., doing business as Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL), is a global cruise company that operates vacation cruises and related travel experiences. Its fleet visits destinations across the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Asia, Australia, and other regions, with itineraries that typically include onboard entertainment, dining, accommodations, recreational activities, and shore excursions.

The company’s principal brands include Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises.