Citigroup Has Lowered Expectations for Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) Stock Price

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) had its target price decreased by stock analysts at Citigroup from $377.00 to $348.00 in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Citigroup’s price objective points to a potential upside of 30.14% from the company’s previous close.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $318.00 to $327.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. UBS Group cut their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $350.00 to $321.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Tigress Financial raised their price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $415.00 to $425.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $410.00 price objective on Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report on Friday. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $347.10.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Price Performance

Royal Caribbean Cruises stock traded up $3.65 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $267.41. The stock had a trading volume of 1,838,307 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,557,291. The firm has a market capitalization of $71.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.12, a P/E/G ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.93. The company has a current ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.77. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $279.53 and its 200 day moving average is $285.81. Royal Caribbean Cruises has a one year low of $223.00 and a one year high of $366.50.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $3.60 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.20 by $0.40. The company had revenue of $4.45 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.46 billion. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a net margin of 23.80% and a return on equity of 45.06%. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s quarterly revenue was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.71 EPS. 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, sell-side analysts forecast that Royal Caribbean Cruises will post 17.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Maritza Gomez Montiel sold 1,385 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $327.18, for a total transaction of $453,144.30. Following the sale, the director directly owned 12,849 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,203,935.82. This represents a 9.73% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Laura H. Bethge sold 7,854 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $326.21, for a total transaction of $2,562,053.34. Following the sale, the insider owned 32,786 shares in the company, valued at $10,695,121.06. This represents a 19.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 1,967,319 shares of company stock worth $626,681,935. 6.95% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Royal Caribbean Cruises

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in RCL. Montag A & Associates Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 184.4% during the fourth quarter. Montag A & Associates Inc. now owns 91 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. bought a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC bought a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. 87.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Royal Caribbean Cruises

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations: RCL reported adjusted EPS above consensus and revenue roughly in line, with management citing healthy demand and strong WAVE-season performance — a primary driver of the positive market reaction. Royal Caribbean (RCL) Q1 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns and demand visibility: RCL disclosed roughly $1.1B returned to shareholders (buybacks + dividends) and highlighted record bookings, supporting near-term cash flow and investor confidence. PR Newswire: First Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Regional recovery in demand: Mediterranean itineraries showed booking resilience despite regional tensions, easing some concerns about lost demand on key European routes. Royal Caribbean’s Mediterranean Bookings Bounce Back
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation & pullback analysis: Analysts and market pieces are revisiting RCL’s valuation after recent volatility — some see the pullback as a buying opportunity given growth in demand, others note cyclical risks. This coverage is shaping investor positioning but not providing new company data. A Look At Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) Valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Fuel costs and geopolitical headwinds trimmed guidance: Management updated FY 2026 EPS guidance to $17.10–17.50 and Q2 to $3.83–3.93, citing higher fuel costs tied to Middle East tensions — a direct profit-pressure item that prompted caution. RCL Q1 deep dive: Demand remains firm, but guidance trimmed
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts flag cuts vs. prior targets: Outside reports note RCL lowered prior profit targets (reflecting surging fuel costs), which introduces execution risk if fuel or itinerary disruptions persist. Reuters: Royal Caribbean cuts annual profit forecast

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.