Royal Caribbean Cruises’ (RCL) “Outperform” Rating Reaffirmed at BMO Capital Markets

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL)‘s stock had its “outperform” rating reissued by analysts at BMO Capital Markets in a report issued on Wednesday, September 23rd, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $370.00 price objective on the stock. BMO Capital Markets’ price objective would indicate a potential upside of 38.93% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other brokerages have also recently weighed in on RCL. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Weiss Ratings lowered Royal Caribbean Cruises from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Thursday, September 3rd. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $361.00 to $388.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $357.80.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Up 2.2%

RCL stock traded up $5.65 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $266.32. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 4,278,672 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,573,424. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $282.65 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $281.31. Royal Caribbean Cruises has a 12 month low of $222.22 and a 12 month high of $356.39. The company has a market capitalization of $71.23 billion, a PE ratio of 16.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 1.74. The company has a quick ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $4.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.98 by $0.23. The business had revenue of $4.83 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.38 EPS. 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, equities research analysts expect that Royal Caribbean Cruises will post 17.78 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Royal Caribbean Cruises

In other Royal Caribbean Cruises news, CEO Michael Bayley sold 12,811 shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.99, for a total value of $4,048,147.89. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 45,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,313,399.03. The trade was a 22.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 6.44% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Royal Caribbean Cruises

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 12.2% during the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 66,915 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,248,000 after purchasing an additional 7,299 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 5.0% during the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 293,714 shares of the company’s stock worth $93,261,000 after buying an additional 14,018 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 2.6% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 10,689,134 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,409,971,000 after buying an additional 270,930 shares in the last quarter. Security National Bank of SO Dak bought a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the second quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Junto Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $85,092,000. 87.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Royal Caribbean Cruises News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Caribbean’s below-market fuel hedges could partially offset its projected approximately $1.34 billion 2026 fuel expense, providing some protection if fuel prices remain elevated. Can Royal Caribbean’s Fuel Hedges Cushion Its $1.3B Expense Outlook?
• Positive Sentiment: The company unveiled its 2028 Alaska program, featuring seven-night cruises on four ships from Seattle, Seward and Vancouver, plus optional land-based Cruisetour extensions. The expanded itinerary should support future bookings and broaden Royal Caribbean’s premium vacation offering. Royal Caribbean Reveals 2028 Summer Lineup of Alaska Vacations
• Positive Sentiment: Strong fiscal third-quarter results and an improved profit outlook from Carnival provided a favorable read-through for cruise demand, helping lift Royal Caribbean and other industry peers. Cruise Stocks Jump After Carnival Posts Strong Results and Rosy Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America upgraded RCL to Buy, arguing that the selloff created an attractive entry point and left the shares trading below historical forward valuation levels. Deutsche Bank also viewed the decline as a buying opportunity. Royal Caribbean Upgraded to Buy at Bank of America
• Neutral Sentiment: RCL is receiving unusually high investor attention on Zacks, which may increase near-term trading activity but does not itself change the company’s fundamentals. Royal Caribbean Is a Trending Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Fuel hedges provide only partial protection, leaving Royal Caribbean exposed to a substantial fuel bill and potential oil-price increases. Analysts also cite Caribbean capacity crowding and execution risks as reasons the recent recovery could face pressure. Royal Caribbean Is Down Sharply From Its High

About Royal Caribbean Cruises

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., now known as Royal Caribbean Group, is a global cruise company that operates vacation experiences through a portfolio of cruise brands. Its principal brands include Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises, each serving different segments of the leisure travel market, from family-oriented cruises and large-scale resort-style ships to premium and luxury expedition voyages.

The company offers cruises to destinations around the world, including the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and other international regions.