Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) Stock Analysis — Fair Value, Risk & Moat Rating
NYQ · Consumer Cyclical · Travel Services
Is Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. a safe investment right now?
Trading at $271.47, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) in the Consumer Cyclical sector carries a FairValueLabs fair value estimate of $241.68 — a margin of safety of -12.3%, placing it in the Fairly Valued. An Altman Z-Score of 2.18 lands in the gray zone, signaling elevated uncertainty around financial health. Our moat rating stands at 3.7/5 stars (Solid moat · eroding), indicating moderate competitive positioning. On the income side, RCL currently pays a dividend with a safety grade of .
Could Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. go bankrupt? Altman Z-Score analysis
Z-Score of 2.18 places the company in the gray zone (1.8-3.0), warranting closer scrutiny.
- Below 1.8 — Distress Zone (high bankruptcy risk)
- 1.8 to 3.0 — Gray Zone (elevated uncertainty)
- Above 3.0 — Safe Zone (financially healthy)
What drives RCL's Z-Score?
| Component | Formula | Value | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A · Working Capital / Total Assets | WC / TA | -0.2365 | 1.2 | -0.28 |
| B · Retained Earnings / Total Assets | RE / TA | 0.1424 | 1.4 | 0.2 |
| C · EBIT / Total Assets | EBIT / TA | 0.1289 | 3.3 | 0.43 |
| D · Market Cap / Total Liabilities | MCap / TL | 2.3408 | 0.6 | 1.4 |
| E · Revenue / Total Assets | Rev / TA | 0.4309 | 1.0 | 0.43 |
How has RCL's financial health changed over time?
| Year | Z-Score | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1.35 | Distress |
| 2023 | 1.89 | Gray |
| 2024 | 2.19 | Gray |
| 2025 | 2.18 | Gray |
Source: Calculated from RCL's latest 10-K filing on SEC EDGAR.
What is Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. actually worth?
How we calculated this
| Input | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Predicted EPS (α) | $16.33 | Proprietary blend of reported actuals + analyst consensus, weighted by α |
| Last Year EPS | $15.61 | Annual report (SEC EDGAR) |
| Analyst Consensus EPS (This Year) | $17.42 | 24 analysts consensus |
| Trailing P/E | 17.4x | Current market pricing |
| Fair P/E (β discount) | 14.8x | Trailing PE adjusted by value discount factor β, hard-capped |
| Earnings Trend (γ) | Growing | Directional signal: predicted vs trailing EPS |
Wall Street Reference: Analyst consensus target price is $348.46 (24 analysts). This is shown for reference only and is not used in our valuation model.
Source: Earnings data from SEC EDGAR filings. Market data via Yahoo Finance.
Does Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. have a durable competitive advantage?
Moat rating: 3.7/5.
What makes up RCL's moat score?
ROIC Stability
ROIC variability over the past decade. Score: 4/5.
Gross Margin Trend
Gross margin trajectory over the past decade. Score: 4/5.
Switching Costs
Estimated customer lock-in based on margin level. Score: 3/5.
How stable is RCL's return on invested capital?
| Year | ROIC | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -3.0% | — |
| 2023 | 11.9% | Rising |
| 2024 | 16.4% | Rising |
| 2025 | 17.1% | Stable |
Source: ROIC calculated from SEC EDGAR filings.
Is Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.'s dividend safe?
Can Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. afford its dividend?
Payout ratio is 22.4%. FCF covers the dividend 0.0x. 29 consecutive years of payments.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.'s key financial metrics
| Metric | Latest | 1Y Ago | 3Y Ago | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $17.9B | $16.5B | $8.8B | Rising |
| Net Income | $4.3B | $2.9B | −$2.2B | Rising |
| Free Cash Flow | $1.2B | $2.0B | −$2.2B | Rising |
| Gross Margin | 49.4% | 47.5% | 25.2% | Rising |
Common questions about Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Is Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. at risk of going bankrupt?
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.'s Altman Z-Score of 2.18 places it in the gray zone. This metric uses balance sheet ratios to predict bankruptcy probability within 2 years. A score below 1.8 signals distress, while above 3.0 indicates safety.
What is Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.'s estimated fair value?
Our valuation model estimates Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.'s fair value at $241.68 per share. The current margin of safety is -12.3%. This estimate uses a PE-based approach with analyst consensus earnings.
Does Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. have a competitive moat?
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. receives a moat rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on ROIC stability, gross margin trends, and estimated switching costs. A rating above 3.5 suggests a durable competitive advantage.
Is Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.'s dividend safe?
Our dividend safety analysis examines payout ratio, free cash flow coverage, and the company's streak of consecutive dividend payments to determine whether the current payout is sustainable.
FairValueLabs Disclaimer
All valuations, scores, ratings, and classifications on this page are produced by the FairValueLabs internal valuation system. They do not represent actual market value, guaranteed outcomes, or professional investment advice. These are analytical estimates for educational and research purposes only.
This is not financial advice. All data is sourced from SEC EDGAR public filings. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Last updated: Apr 22, 2026. Data sources: SEC EDGAR (financial statements), Yahoo Finance (market data, analyst consensus). Data may not reflect the most recent quarter.
RCL analysis methodology: How we calculate fair value, Z-Scores, and moat ratings