Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) Intrinsic Value

DCF-based fair value calculation with Bear, Base, and Bull scenarios

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Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL)

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Intrinsic Value (DCF)

Current$291.72
Intrinsic$153.55
-47%
$78.56$153.55$302.63
Market implies 33% growth for 5 years
Current price reflects execution expectations above 20% growth — not unreasonable for quality businesses.
At $292, the market prices in continued strong cash flow growth (33%) — likely reflecting buybacks, margin stability, and ecosystem strength.
Range: Bear $79 → Bull $303. Current price implies expectations above the base case, closer to bull expectations.
Discount ↓Growth →16%18%20%22%
8%$212$236$261$288
10%$121$137$154$172
12%$73$84$97$110
14%$43$52$62$72

Bull Case

  • Bull case ($303) offers 4% upside at 24% growth, 8% discount

Bear Case

  • Bear case ($79) implies 73% downside at 16% growth, 12% discount
  • Price reflects 33% growth expectations vs 20% historical — high bar to clear
  • Trading 47% above base case — execution must exceed assumptions to justify
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5-Year Free Cash Flow Projection

Year 1$2.40B
Year 2$2.88B
Year 3$3.45B
Year 4$4.14B
Year 5$4.97B
Terminal$78.74B

📐 Model Inputs

Growth Rate20.0%5Y CAGR (cascade: 5Y→3Y→TTM)
Discount Rate9.5%WACC estimate
Terminal Growth3.0%Perpetuity rate
Base Free Cash Flow$2.00BTTM actual
Bear g×0.8, r+2%
Base Historical CAGR
Bull g×1.2, r−1.5%
ℹ️

DCF estimates based on historical growth rates extrapolated forward. See FAQ below for full methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is RCL stock undervalued or overvalued?
🔴 OVERVALUED

RCL trades at $291.72 vs. our DCF-derived intrinsic value of $153.55, implying -48% downside. Using a 9.5% WACC and 20.0% FCF growth assumption, the current price requires growth rates above our estimates to be justified. Even our bull case ($276.17) suggests limited upside.

What is RCL's intrinsic value?

Using a 5-year DCF model: Base FCF of $2.00B, projected at 20.0% 5Y CAGR (best of revenue, EPS, or FCF growth), discounted at 9.5% WACC, with 3.0% terminal growth. Terminal value calculated via Gordon Growth Model: TV = FCF₅ × (1+g) / (WACC−g). After deducting $20.43B net debt and dividing by 0.28B shares: Bear $72.84 | Base $153.55 | Bull $276.17. Current price $291.72 implies -48% to base case.

How is RCL's fair value calculated?

DCF Methodology:

① Project FCF years 1-5 using 20.0% growth derived from 5-year historical CAGR (best of revenue, EPS, or FCF growth, with 8% floor and 25% cap).

② Calculate terminal value at year 5 using perpetuity growth model with g=3.0%.

③ Discount all cash flows to PV using WACC=9.5%.

④ Sum PV of explicit period + PV of terminal value = Enterprise Value ($63.27B).

⑤ Subtract net debt, divide by shares outstanding.

Sensitivity analysis available above—adjust WACC ±2% or growth ±3% to stress-test the valuation. Implied EV/FCF multiple: 31.7x.