Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) Issues Earnings Results

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported $2.80 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.80, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $4.26 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.28 billion. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a net margin of 23.33% and a return on equity of 44.68%.

Here are the key takeaways from Royal Caribbean Cruises’ conference call:

• Strong 2025 results: Management reported record 9.4 million guests, nearly $18 billion in revenue, 33% adjusted EPS growth (FY adj. EPS $15.64), ~$6.4–6.5 billion operating cash flow, and $2 billion returned to shareholders.
• Confident 2026 guidance: Company expects capacity +6.7%, double‑digit revenue growth, net yield +1.5%–3.5%, adjusted EPS of $17.70–$18.10, and >$7 billion operating cash flow, positioning it to hit its 2027 targets.
• Growth investments underway: Commitments include 10 additional Celebrity River ships (20 by 2031), a new Royal Caribbean “Discovery Class” (2 firm + 4 options), expanded private destinations (Royal Beach Club), and a loyalty overhaul (Points Choice) to broaden the vacation ecosystem.
• Near‑term cost and regulatory headwinds: Net cruise costs ex‑fuel are guided to be flat to +1%, with ~200 basis points of incremental costs from private‑destination ramp-up, EU ETS expansion to 100% of European itinerary emissions in 2026, and fuel expense pegged at ~$1.17 billion (60% hedged).
• Strong booking momentum and tech adoption: Management said the best seven booking weeks on record left ~two‑thirds of 2026 booked at high load factors, with digital/AI investments and new ships driving higher direct and partner channel demand and improved conversion.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Performance

NYSE:RCL opened at $344.44 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $93.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.16, a PEG ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 1.94. Royal Caribbean Cruises has a fifty-two week low of $164.01 and a fifty-two week high of $366.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 0.14 and a current ratio of 0.16. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $281.28 and a 200-day moving average price of $304.44.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th were issued a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 26th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s payout ratio is currently 26.90%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

RCL has been the subject of several research reports. Truist Financial cut their price target on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $321.00 to $318.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $353.00 to $304.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $378.00 to $381.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $275.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Susquehanna set a $350.00 price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $330.52.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Maritza Gomez Montiel sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $281.76, for a total transaction of $309,936.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 14,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,010,571.84. This represents a 7.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 6.95% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Royal Caribbean Cruises

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 3rd quarter valued at $42,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 3rd quarter valued at $66,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 16.1% during the 2nd quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 252 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA raised its holdings in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 21.6% during the 3rd quarter. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA now owns 310 shares of the company’s stock worth $100,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. 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: Company raised FY‑2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $17.70–$18.10, slightly above the Street consensus (17.69), signaling management expects continued margin and revenue strength. PR Newswire: 2025 Results & 2026 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Q1 2026 EPS guide raised to $3.18–$3.28 versus consensus ~$2.94 — a material upside to the near-term earnings run‑rate that helps justify a re‑rating of the stock. PR Newswire: 2025 Results & 2026 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Management reported record WAVE‑season bookings and higher onboard spend, supporting the upbeat 2026 revenue and profit outlook. Market commentary and analyst notes pointed to strong demand from higher‑spending travelers. Reuters: Raises Annual Profit Forecast
• Positive Sentiment: Company is expanding its vacation portfolio — Discovery Class ship orders and a 10‑ship commitment for Celebrity River Cruises boost long‑term capacity and higher‑margin product mix. These investments signal confidence in demand and potential revenue diversification. PR Newswire: Discovery Class Orders PR Newswire: Celebrity River Cruises Fleet
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 EPS of $2.80 matched consensus, with revenue just shy of estimates — the quarter showed strong margins and higher onboard spend but wasn’t a blowout vs. expectations. MarketBeat: Q4 Results & Call
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue narrowly missed consensus and short‑term liquidity metrics remain weak (very low current/quick ratios in company background data), leaving the stock exposed to macro shocks or higher rates despite the upbeat guidance. Zacks: Q4 Lag but Strong 2026 View

Royal Caribbean Cruises declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, December 10th that authorizes the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 2.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

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.