Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) Upgraded at Bank of America

Bank of America upgraded shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Monday, Marketbeat reports. They currently have $330.00 price target on the stock.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on RCL. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $345.00 to $394.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. Morgan Stanley increased 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. Loop Capital started coverage on Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Monday, June 1st. They set a “hold” rating and a $304.00 price target on the stock. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $370.00 price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $361.00 to $388.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $357.80.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:RCL opened at $266.32 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $71.23 billion, a PE ratio of 16.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 1.74. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $282.25 and its 200-day simple moving average is $281.31. Royal Caribbean Cruises has a one year low of $222.22 and a one year high of $356.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03, a quick ratio of 0.19 and a current ratio of 0.21.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $4.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.98 by $0.23. The firm had revenue of $4.83 billion during 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%. The company’s revenue was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $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 predict that Royal Caribbean Cruises will post 17.79 EPS for the current year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 8th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 17th will be paid a $1.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 17th. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s payout ratio is 37.08%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Royal Caribbean Cruises news, CEO Michael Bayley sold 12,811 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.99, for a total transaction of $4,048,147.89. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 45,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,313,399.03. This trade represents a 22.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 6.44% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in RCL. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 12.2% in the second 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 in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 5.0% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 293,714 shares of the company’s stock valued at $93,261,000 after buying an additional 14,018 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 2.6% in the 2nd 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 during the last quarter. Security National Bank of SO Dak purchased a new position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Junto Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $85,092,000. 87.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Royal Caribbean Cruises

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Carnival earnings and a raised full-year profit outlook provided a favorable read-through for Royal Caribbean, suggesting resilient bookings, pricing power and consumer demand across the cruise industry. Cruise Stocks Jump After Carnival Posts Strong Results and Rosy Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts described Royal Caribbean as a high-quality business trading well below its prior peak, with two Wall Street analysts upgrading the stock. The bullish case centers on continued demand and earnings growth. Royal Caribbean Is Down Sharply From Its High. Deutsche Bank Says It’s Time to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Caribbean unveiled its 2028 Alaska program across four ships, including the amplified Ovation of the Seas. The expanded itineraries and optional land tours could support long-term capacity utilization and onboard revenue, although the financial impact is distant. Royal Caribbean Reveals 2028 Summer Lineup of Alaska Vacations
• Neutral Sentiment: Royal Caribbean became a heavily searched or “trending” stock on Zacks, indicating increased investor attention but providing no new fundamental information. Royal Caribbean Is a Trending Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Fuel hedges provide only partial protection against Royal Caribbean’s projected roughly $1.34 billion 2026 fuel bill. Higher oil prices could pressure margins and undermine the bullish thesis. Analysts also cited Caribbean crowding and the company’s resort acquisition as risks. Can Royal Caribbean’s Fuel Hedges Cushion Its Expense Outlook?

Royal Caribbean Cruises Company Profile

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.