Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL – Get Free Report) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 17.100-17.500 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 17.270. The company issued revenue guidance of $19.7 billion-$19.7 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $19.7 billion. Royal Caribbean Cruises also updated its Q2 2026 guidance to 3.830-3.930 EPS.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of research firms have recently weighed in on RCL. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $296.00 price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $376.00 to $341.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Tigress Financial raised their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $415.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th. Finally, William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Royal Caribbean Cruises currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $349.60.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Performance
Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $3.60 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.20 by $0.40. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a net margin of 23.80% and a return on equity of 45.06%. The firm had revenue of $4.45 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.46 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.71 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. Royal Caribbean Cruises has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 3.830-3.930 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 17.100-17.500 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Royal Caribbean Cruises will post 17.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Increases Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th were given a dividend of $1.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 6th. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is a boost from Royal Caribbean Cruises’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.00. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s payout ratio is currently 38.44%.
Insider Transactions at Royal Caribbean Cruises
In related news, Director Arne Alexander Wilhelmsen sold 356,026 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $318.39, for a total value of $113,355,118.14. Following the sale, the director owned 16,681,386 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,311,186,488.54. This trade represents a 2.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Jason T. Liberty sold 90,910 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $326.81, for a total value of $29,710,297.10. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 218,822 shares in the company, valued at approximately $71,513,217.82. This trade represents a 29.35% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 1,967,319 shares of company stock worth $626,681,935 in the last three months. 6.95% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Trending Headlines about Royal Caribbean Cruises
Here are the key news stories impacting Royal Caribbean Cruises this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings beat — adjusted EPS of $3.60 topped consensus and revenue was essentially in line, showing strong operating leverage and margin expansion that surprised investors. ROYAL CARIBBEAN GROUP REPORTS FIRST QUARTER RESULTS THAT EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS AND PROVIDES AN UPDATE TO FULL YEAR GUIDANCE
- Positive Sentiment: Demand momentum and bookings remain strong — management reported record WAVE-season bookings and noted Mediterranean itineraries are rebounding, supporting better forward revenue visibility. Royal Caribbean’s Mediterranean Bookings Bounce Back Amid War in Iran
- Positive Sentiment: Capital return and buybacks — the company returned roughly $1.1 billion in Q1 (including $836M of share repurchases), which supports EPS and reduces float. ROYAL CARIBBEAN GROUP REPORTS FIRST QUARTER RESULTS THAT EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS AND PROVIDES AN UPDATE TO FULL YEAR GUIDANCE
- Neutral Sentiment: Top-line largely in line — revenue was roughly flat with expectations (small variance), so the upside was driven mainly by margin improvements and joint-venture performance rather than a big revenue surprise. Royal Caribbean (RCL) Q1 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
- Neutral Sentiment: Management tone — the earnings call reiterated a healthy consumer backdrop and operational recovery (full transcripts/summaries are available), which supports the longer-term demand case but provides little new near-term conviction. Royal Caribbean Earnings Call Highlights Strong Cruise Momentum
- Negative Sentiment: Fuel and geopolitical headwinds — rising fuel costs tied to Middle East tensions are the primary near-term margin risk; management adjusted FY guidance downward versus prior ranges and Q2 guidance was set below some Street expectations, which caps upside. Royal Caribbean cuts annual profit forecast, sees higher fuel costs
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Royal Caribbean Cruises
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. bought a new position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Quattro Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 3rd quarter worth about $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.53% of the company’s stock.
About Royal Caribbean Cruises
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.
Further Reading
Receive News & Ratings for Royal Caribbean Cruises Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Royal Caribbean Cruises and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
