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BKNG vs. RCL: Booking vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Comparison

How do Booking (BKNG) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Booking (BKNG) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) are both classified in the Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines sub-industry within the broader Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Company profile comparison for Booking (BKNG) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)
Profile ItemBKNGRCL
NameBooking Holdings Inc.Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorConsumer DiscretionaryConsumer Discretionary
GICS Industry GroupConsumer ServicesConsumer Services
GICS IndustryHotels, Restaurants & LeisureHotels, Restaurants & Leisure
GICS Sub-IndustryHotels, Resorts & Cruise LinesHotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines
Market Capitalization145.23 billion USD70.93 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNasdaqNYSE
Listing DateMarch 31, 1999April 28, 1993
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

BKNG
RCL
GSPC
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Booking (BKNG) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Booking (BKNG) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Booking (BKNG) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Booking (BKNG) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)
MetricBKNGRCL
Total Return (1Y)-12.76%-25.09%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)16.58%40.80%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)16.45%27.98%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

BKNG
RCL
GSPC
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Booking (BKNG) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Booking (BKNG) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Booking (BKNG) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)
MetricBKNGRCL
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)36.59%46.83%
Beta (5Y)1.111.82
Max Drawdown (5Y)-39.53%-67.64%
Avg. Volume (3M)6.69M2.21M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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BKNG and RCL are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Booking (BKNG) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)
MetricBKNGRCL
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)-0.46-0.62
Sortino Ratio (1Y)-0.66-0.97

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) earns 44.67% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; Booking (BKNG) has no ROE this period.

BKNG

Consumer Services industry group

--

Max
59.09%
Q3
31.70%
Median
14.44%
Q1
2.11%
Min
-37.58%
BKNG
--

RCL

Consumer Services industry group

44.67%

Max
59.09%
RCL
44.67%
Q3
31.70%
Median
14.44%
Q1
2.11%
Min
-37.58%
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Booking (BKNG) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): BKNG does not report ROE, so it has no value marker; RCL is benchmarked against the Consumer Services industry group.

Net Margin (TTM)

For every dollar of sales, both Booking (BKNG) at 25.53% and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 23.54% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.

BKNG

Consumer Services industry group

25.53%

Max
28.43%
BKNG
25.53%
Q3
13.02%
Median
5.92%
Q1
1.17%
Min
-15.39%

RCL

Consumer Services industry group

23.54%

Max
28.43%
RCL
23.54%
Q3
13.02%
Median
5.92%
Q1
1.17%
Min
-15.39%
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Booking (BKNG) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their net margin against the Consumer Services industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Booking (BKNG) at 34.41% and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 27.07% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

BKNG

Consumer Services industry group

34.41%

Max
46.49%
BKNG
34.41%
Q3
22.12%
Median
13.10%
Q1
5.81%
Min
-12.94%

RCL

Consumer Services industry group

27.07%

Max
46.49%
RCL
27.07%
Q3
22.12%
Median
13.10%
Q1
5.81%
Min
-12.94%
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Booking (BKNG) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their operating margin against the Consumer Services industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Booking (BKNG) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)
MetricBKNGRCL
ROE (TTM)--44.67%
ROA (TTM)20.38%7.68%
Net Margin (TTM)25.53%23.54%
Operating Margin (TTM)34.41%27.07%
Gross Margin (TTM)87.23%50.28%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Booking (BKNG) at 13.39% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 8.79% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for BKNG.

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Booking (BKNG) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Booking (BKNG) at -4.12% and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 41.91% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Booking (BKNG) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Booking (BKNG) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)
MetricBKNGRCL
Revenue Growth (YoY)13.39%8.79%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)16.35%26.59%
EPS Growth (YoY)-4.12%41.91%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)29.44%--

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Booking (BKNG) at 1.09 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 0.21 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for RCL.

BKNG

Consumer Services industry group

1.09

Max
3.37
Q3
1.83
BKNG
1.09
Median
1.03
Q1
0.69
Min
0.20

RCL

Consumer Services industry group

0.21

Max
3.37
Q3
1.83
Median
1.03
Q1
0.69
RCL
0.21
Min
0.20
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Booking (BKNG) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their current ratio against the Consumer Services industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Only one side’s leverage can be read here: Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25 against its industry range, while Booking (BKNG) reports no figure this period.

BKNG

Consumer Services industry group

--

Max
7.30
Q3
3.36
Median
1.29
Q1
0.38
Min
0.01
BKNG
--

RCL

Consumer Services industry group

2.25

Max
7.30
Q3
3.36
RCL
2.25
Median
1.29
Q1
0.38
Min
0.01
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Booking (BKNG) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): BKNG does not report debt-to-equity ratio, so it has no value marker; RCL is benchmarked against the Consumer Services industry group.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Booking (BKNG) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)
MetricBKNGRCL
Current Ratio (MRQ)1.090.21
Debt / Equity (MRQ)--2.25
Net Debt / EBITDA0.363.27

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 1.88% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Booking (BKNG) at 0.82% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, RCL the richer one.

BKNG

Consumer Services industry group

0.82%

Max
3.85%
Q3
1.76%
BKNG
0.82%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

RCL

Consumer Services industry group

1.88%

Max
3.85%
RCL
1.88%
Q3
1.76%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Booking (BKNG) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Consumer Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Booking (BKNG) at 17.86% and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 30.88% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.

BKNG

Consumer Services industry group

17.86%

Max
86.96%
Q3
36.18%
BKNG
17.86%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

RCL

Consumer Services industry group

30.88%

Max
86.96%
Q3
36.18%
RCL
30.88%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Booking (BKNG) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Consumer Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Booking (BKNG) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)
MetricBKNGRCL
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.82%1.88%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)17.86%30.88%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Booking (BKNG) at 21.45 and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 16.37 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

BKNG

Consumer Services industry group

21.45

Max
60.39
Q3
34.17
BKNG
21.45
Median
21.32
Q1
16.01
Min
3.46

RCL

Consumer Services industry group

16.37

Max
60.39
Q3
34.17
Median
21.32
RCL
16.37
Q1
16.01
Min
3.46
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Booking (BKNG) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Consumer Services industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Both Booking (BKNG) at 5.30 and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 3.80 command a richer price per dollar of sales than most peers, sitting in the upper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.

BKNG

Consumer Services industry group

5.30

Max
6.53
BKNG
5.30
Q3
3.09
Median
1.69
Q1
0.72
Min
0.08

RCL

Consumer Services industry group

3.80

Max
6.53
RCL
3.80
Q3
3.09
Median
1.69
Q1
0.72
Min
0.08
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Booking (BKNG) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Consumer Services industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Booking (BKNG) reports a negative P/B ratio of -13.59, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) reports 6.93, ranking against industry peers normally.

BKNG

Consumer Services industry group

-13.59

Max
11.22
Q3
5.58
Median
2.56
Q1
1.11
Min
-3.99
BKNG
-13.59

RCL

Consumer Services industry group

6.93

Max
11.22
RCL
6.93
Q3
5.58
Median
2.56
Q1
1.11
Min
-3.99
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Booking (BKNG) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Consumer Services industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Booking (BKNG) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)
MetricBKNGRCL
P/E Ratio (TTM)21.4516.37
P/S Ratio (TTM)5.303.80
P/B Ratio (MRQ)-13.596.93
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)5.32%-2.14%