Royal Caribbean Stock Surges Friday: What Investors Are Watching

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (NYSE:RCL) shares are trading higher Friday afternoon, extending its post-earnings momentum as U.S. stocks advanced broadly, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average setting another record and small caps leading gains.

The move comes a week after the cruise operator reported fourth-quarter results that met Wall Street expectations and pointed to stronger growth ahead. Here’s what investors need to know.

• Royal Caribbean shares are climbing with conviction. What’s fueling RCL momentum?

Royal Caribbean Sees Strong Demand, Lifts 2026 Earnings Outlook

Royal Caribbean posted adjusted earnings of $2.80 per share, in line with consensus estimates. Revenue performance was underpinned by net yield growth of about 2.5% on a constant-currency basis, with reported net yields up just over 3%.

Higher pricing and strong onboard spending lifted net per diem, while occupancy climbed to roughly 108%, indicating ships are sailing essentially full.

Looking further out, management guided to 2026 adjusted earnings of roughly $17.70 to $18.10 per share, slightly ahead of current Street projections and reinforcing the view that demand for cruising remains robust.

The company expects net yield growth to outpace cost inflation, supporting further margin expansion.

JPMorgan Lifts Target As Cruise Recovery Continues

Following the report, JPMorgan analyst Matthew Boss maintained an Overweight rating and lifting his price target to $368 from $357. Investors are also watching ongoing booking strength and capacity additions as key drivers of the multi-year earnings ramp.

With travel and leisure shares benefiting from Friday's risk-on tone, RCL's latest uptick added to what has already been a strong multi-year recovery story for the cruise line.

Royal Caribbean Gr (NYSE:RCL) experienced a notable surge on Friday, driven by a combination of geopolitical developments and sector momentum. The recent speculation around Cuba’s political landscape has sparked interest in the cruise industry, potentially reshaping Caribbean cruise demand and pricing. This geopolitical shift, coupled with the broader positive sentiment in the cruise sector, has contributed to Royal Caribbean’s stock performance.

Section: Technical Analysis

Royal Caribbean is trading 14.3% above its 20-day simple moving average (SMA) and 20.1% above its 50-day SMA, indicating strong short-term momentum.

Over the past 12 months, shares have increased 27.32%, and they are currently positioned closer to their 52-week highs than lows, reflecting a robust recovery in the stock’s price.

The RSI is at 61.27, which is considered neutral territory, suggesting that the stock is neither overbought nor oversold. Meanwhile, the MACD is above its signal line, indicating bullish momentum in the stock.

The combination of a neutral RSI and bullish MACD suggests mixed momentum, with potential for further upside if the current trend continues.

• Key Resistance: $351.50
• Key Support: $276.50

RCL Price Action: Royal Caribbean shares were up 5.52% at $344.16 at the time of publication on Friday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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