Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) Issues Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) issued an update on its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 3.180-3.280 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 2.940. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Royal Caribbean Cruises also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 17.700-18.100 EPS.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Price Performance

Royal Caribbean Cruises stock opened at $344.44 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $281.28 and a 200-day simple moving average of $304.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 0.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67. The firm has a market capitalization 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 52-week low of $164.01 and a 52-week high of $366.50.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $2.80 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.80. The firm had revenue of $4.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.28 billion. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a return on equity of 44.68% and a net margin of 23.33%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Royal Caribbean Cruises will post 14.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th were given a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.90%.

Royal Caribbean Cruises announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, December 10th that permits the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to buy up to 2.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently issued reports on RCL shares. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. William Blair restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research note on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a report on Friday, December 26th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their target price on Royal Caribbean Cruises from $378.00 to $381.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Royal Caribbean Cruises currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $333.33.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Maritza Gomez Montiel sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $281.76, for a total transaction of $309,936.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 14,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,010,571.84. This trade represents a 7.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 6.95% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Royal Caribbean Cruises

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Royal Caribbean Cruises

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in RCL. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in the third quarter worth $37,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises during the third quarter worth approximately $42,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises during the third quarter worth $66,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 16.1% in the 2nd quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 252 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA boosted its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 21.6% in the third quarter. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA now owns 310 shares of the company’s stock worth $100,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. 87.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.