Zacks Research Issues Optimistic Forecast for RCL Earnings

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) – Zacks Research raised their Q2 2027 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, May 21st. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will earn $5.65 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $5.59. Zacks Research has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Royal Caribbean Cruises’ current full-year earnings is $17.27 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Royal Caribbean Cruises’ Q3 2027 earnings at $5.49 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $4.24 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $19.06 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $5.19 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $22.04 EPS.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $3.60 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.20 by $0.40. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a return on equity of 45.25% and a net margin of 24.36%.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 prior year, the firm posted $2.71 EPS. The business’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.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $376.00 to $341.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $330.00 to $310.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Truist Financial reduced their price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $318.00 to $297.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $275.00 to $334.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $345.63.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Trading Up 0.5%

NYSE:RCL opened at $257.38 on Monday. Royal Caribbean Cruises has a twelve month low of $232.10 and a twelve month high of $366.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $269.55 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $281.72. The company has a market cap of $69.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.77.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, June 3rd will be paid a dividend of $1.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 3rd. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.61%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Arne Alexander Wilhelmsen sold 245,476 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $311.54, for a total transaction of $76,475,593.04. Following the sale, the director owned 16,435,910 shares in the company, valued at $5,120,443,401.40. This represents a 1.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In the last quarter, insiders sold 1,116,718 shares of company stock worth $352,532,179. Corporate insiders own 6.44% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Royal Caribbean Cruises

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Montag A & Associates Inc. raised its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 184.4% in the 4th quarter. Montag A & Associates Inc. now owns 91 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the period. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. bought a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. IMG Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Institutional investors own 87.53% of the company’s stock.

Royal Caribbean Cruises News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Caribbean reported a strong Q1 2026 with $4.50 billion in revenue, 11% year-over-year growth, and GAAP EPS of $3.48, topping guidance. The company also said demand remains resilient and that WAVE season bookings hit a record, which supports the bullish case for future cruise pricing and occupancy. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: The company reiterated roughly 10% revenue growth and higher net yields, but also pointed to geopolitical and environmental headwinds, suggesting execution remains solid while risks stay elevated. Article
• Negative Sentiment: Truist Financial lowered its price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) from $318 to $297 and kept a hold rating, signaling less upside than before despite still being above the current share price. Article
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded RCL from hold to strong sell, and separately cut estimates for Q3 2026, Q4 2026, FY2026, and Q1 2027 earnings, adding to near-term pressure on the stock. Article
• Negative Sentiment: News that Mexico rejected Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day water park project adds another regulatory setback, which could weigh on expansion plans and investor confidence. Article

Royal Caribbean Cruises Company Profile

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.