Keeping an eye on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL), we see that the current average price target is $142.08. Wall Street analysts have the ability to produce price target estimates for where they think the stock is heading. Because price target projections vary from one analyst to another, they may span a wide range of values. Many investors choose to monitor target prices, and they will pay extra close attention when there are updates. Investors might choose to lean heavily on analyst reports and  target projections when doing their own stock research.

Investors are constantly trying to set themselves up for success when dealing with the stock market. This may mean tracking the market from a variety of alternate angles. Keeping tabs on the overall economic climate can help provide valuable insight. Taking a look at the bigger picture can help investors filter down and sort out issues at the sector and individual company level. Making sense of the seemingly endless amount of data can be quite a challenge for the investor. Once investors become familiar with the data, they can start to devise a plan to help use the information to their advantage. Even though thousands of investors will have access to the same set of data, learning how to trade the data can be extremely important. 

Looking at some recent stock price activity for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL), we have spotted shares trading near the $114.05 level. Looking at some popular historical levels, we note that the 52-week high is presently $132.14, and the 52-week low is currently $89.48. When the stock is trading close to the 52-week high or 52-week low, investors may pay extra attention to see if there will be a move through that level. Looking back over the last 12 weeks, the stock has moved -10.43%. Heading back to the start of the year, we can see that shares have moved 16.63%. Over the past 4 weeks, shares have seen a change of -2.14%. Over the last 5 trading sessions, the stock has moved 0.89%.

Covering analysts are looking for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) to report a current quarter EPS of 4.36 when the company issues their next earnings report. This is the consensus estimate using analysts taken into consideration by Zacks Research. This estimate includes 8 sell-side analysts. For the previous reporting period, the company posted a quarterly EPS of 2.54. Investors will be closely tracking how close the actual comes to the consensus estimate. Analysts covering the stock are usually very busy during earnings periods. Before the release, they might be revising estimates. After the earnings release, they will closely review the information and update accordingly.

Street analysts often provide stock recommendations for companies that they track. According to analysts polled by Zacks Research, the current average rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) is 1.46. This average rating includes analysts who have given Buy, Sell and Hold ratings on the name. This rating uses a numerical scale from 1 to 5. A 1 would indicate a Buy recommendation, and a score of 5 would point to a Sell recommendation. Out of all the analysts offering recommendations, 10 have rated the stock a Strong Buy or Buy.

Investors are always striving to make wiser decisions when it comes to handling the markets. There are so many options available, and that can make things more complex. Beginning with a solid approach can help ease the investor’s initial foray into the stock market. Accumulating market knowledge may take a lot of time and effort. Many investors may find out the hard way that there is no easy way to beat the markets. Many investors are teased with investment tips from friends or colleagues. It can be very tempting to take advice from someone who has a track record of beating the market. However, the old saying remains the same; past results may not indicate future results. Investors may find that doing their own research can provide a huge boost to portfolio performance.