Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Posted by Francis Steltz on Aug 14th, 2026

Shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL – Get Free Report) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-two analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $353.40.

A number of equities analysts recently commented on RCL shares. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $367.00 target price on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $361.00 to $388.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Freedom Capital downgraded Royal Caribbean Cruises from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $296.00 target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target 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.

Read Our Latest Research Report on Royal Caribbean Cruises

Insider Buying and Selling at Royal Caribbean Cruises

In other news, CEO Michael W. Bayley sold 12,811 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 45,297 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,313,399.03. This trade represents a 22.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 6.44% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Royal Caribbean Cruises

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Stanley Laman Group Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in the fourth quarter worth $2,159,000. TD Asset Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 29.7% during the fourth quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 877,659 shares of the company’s stock valued at $244,797,000 after acquiring an additional 201,014 shares in the last quarter. Dougherty & Associates LLC purchased a new position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 4th quarter worth about $10,827,000. North Dakota State Investment Board purchased a new position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 4th quarter worth about $2,424,000. Finally, Capital International Sarl boosted its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 19.3% in the 4th quarter. Capital International Sarl now owns 363,713 shares of the company’s stock worth $101,447,000 after purchasing an additional 58,734 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.53% of the company’s stock.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of NYSE RCL opened at $310.32 on Friday. Royal Caribbean Cruises has a one year low of $232.10 and a one year high of $366.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03, a current ratio of 0.21 and a quick ratio of 0.19. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $302.35 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $292.07. The stock has a market capitalization of $82.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.18, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.77.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $4.21 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $4.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.82 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $4.38 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. 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, analysts expect that Royal Caribbean Cruises will post 17.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Royal Caribbean Cruises News

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

Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its FY2026 EPS estimate to $17.73 from $17.13, bringing it close to the broader consensus estimate of $17.79. The firm also increased its estimates for Q3 2026, Q4 2026, FY2027, Q4 2027 and FY2028, suggesting expectations for continued earnings growth. Are Wall Street Analysts Predicting Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Will Climb or Sink?
Positive Sentiment: Zacks lifted its FY2027 EPS forecast to $19.10 from $19.06 and FY2028 EPS forecast to $22.09 from $22.04. Although the revisions were modest, they reinforce expectations that Royal Caribbean’s earnings can expand beyond 2026.
Positive Sentiment: Brokerages’ average price target is approximately $353.40, materially above the stock’s recent trading level near $310, implying potential upside if the company meets or exceeds earnings expectations. Brokerages Set Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Price Target at $353.40
Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains mixed rather than strongly bullish. Zacks Research maintains a Hold rating, while broader Wall Street commentary describes the outlook as cautiously optimistic despite RCL’s lagging the overall market over the past year. Analysts’ Opinions Are Mixed on Royal Caribbean
Negative Sentiment: Zacks lowered its Q1 2027 EPS estimate to $3.66 from $3.68, Q1 2028 to $4.92 from $5.20, and Q2 2028 to $5.49 from $5.65. These reductions indicate some pressure or uncertainty in specific seasonal periods, partially offsetting the broader upward revisions.

About Royal Caribbean Cruises

(Get Free Report)

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.