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Royal Caribbean (RCL) Laps the Stock Market: Here's Why

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In the latest trading session, Royal Caribbean (RCL - Free Report) closed at $333.57, marking a +1.02% move from the previous day. The stock outperformed the S&P 500, which registered a daily gain of 0.61%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 0.49%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq appreciated by 0.95%.

The cruise operator's stock has climbed by 22.43% in the past month, exceeding the Consumer Discretionary sector's gain of 5.12% and the S&P 500's gain of 3.85%.

Market participants will be closely following the financial results of Royal Caribbean in its upcoming release. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $4.05, reflecting a 26.17% increase from the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $4.54 billion, up 10.58% from the prior-year quarter.

In terms of the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $15.43 per share and a revenue of $18.05 billion, indicating changes of +30.76% and +9.48%, respectively, from the former year.

It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for Royal Caribbean. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. As a result, upbeat changes in estimates indicate analysts' favorable outlook on the business health and profitability.

Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 0.1% higher. Currently, Royal Caribbean is carrying a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

From a valuation perspective, Royal Caribbean is currently exchanging hands at a Forward P/E ratio of 21.4. This represents a discount compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 21.76.

One should further note that RCL currently holds a PEG ratio of 0.98. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. RCL's industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.99 as of yesterday's close.

The Leisure and Recreation Services industry is part of the Consumer Discretionary sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 68, which puts it in the top 28% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Don't forget to use Zacks.com to keep track of all these stock-moving metrics, and others, in the upcoming trading sessions.


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