RCL vs. MCD
RCL (Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.) and MCD (McDonald's Corporation) are both stocks. Both are in the Consumer Cyclical sector — RCL in Travel Services, MCD in Restaurants. Over the past 10 years, RCL returned 16.48%/yr vs 11.46%/yr for MCD. At a 0.24 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
RCL vs. MCD - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, RCL achieves a 6.66% return, which is significantly higher than MCD's -5.66% return. Over the past 10 years, RCL has outperformed MCD with an annualized return of 16.48%, while MCD has yielded a comparatively lower 11.46% annualized return.
RCL
- 1D
- 2.23%
- 1M
- 13.68%
- YTD
- 6.66%
- 6M
- 7.04%
- 1Y
- 16.02%
- 3Y*
- 46.74%
- 5Y*
- 27.43%
- 10Y*
- 16.48%
MCD
- 1D
- 0.01%
- 1M
- 3.75%
- YTD
- -5.66%
- 6M
- -8.96%
- 1Y
- -3.37%
- 3Y*
- 1.94%
- 5Y*
- 6.16%
- 10Y*
- 11.46%
RCL vs. MCD - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RCL Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. | 6.66% | 22.46% | 78.98% | 161.97% | -35.72% | 2.96% | -43.50% | 39.94% | -16.13% | 48.22% |
MCD McDonald's Corporation | -5.66% | 7.89% | 0.14% | 15.06% | 0.51% | 27.79% | 11.30% | 13.97% | 5.78% | 45.05% |
Correlation
The correlation between RCL and MCD is 0.27, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.27 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.19 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.23 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.23 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 28, 1993 | 0.24 |
Fundamentals
RCL:
$79.78B
MCD:
$203.21B
RCL:
$16.41
MCD:
$12.13
RCL:
17.94
MCD:
23.48
RCL:
0.82
MCD:
3.78
RCL:
4.37
MCD:
7.42
RCL:
$18.39B
MCD:
$27.45B
RCL:
$8.68B
MCD:
$12.10B
RCL:
$7.13B
MCD:
$14.46B
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Return for Risk
RCL vs. MCD — Risk / Return Rank
RCL
MCD
RCL vs. MCD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) and McDonald's Corporation (MCD). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| RCL | MCD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.50 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.98 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.09 | 0.98 | +0.11 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.39 | -0.20 | +0.59 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 0.66 | -0.50 | +1.17 |
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Drawdowns
RCL vs. MCD - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum RCL drawdown since its inception was -89.49%, which is greater than MCD's maximum drawdown of -73.20%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for RCL and MCD.
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Drawdown Indicators
| RCL | MCD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -89.49% | -73.20% | -16.29% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -32.36% | -19.05% | -13.31% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -35.02% | -19.05% | -15.97% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -67.64% | -19.05% | -48.59% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -83.30% | -36.90% | -46.40% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -18.16% | -15.46% | -2.70% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -27.76% | -14.89% | -12.87% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 19.15% | 7.53% | +11.62% |
Volatility
RCL vs. MCD - Volatility Comparison
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) has a higher volatility of 14.15% compared to McDonald's Corporation (MCD) at 4.96%. This indicates that RCL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than MCD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| RCL | MCD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 14.15% | 4.96% | +9.19% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 38.00% | 12.20% | +25.80% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 46.50% | 16.62% | +29.88% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 48.52% | 17.27% | +31.25% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 53.35% | 20.40% | +32.95% |
Dividends
RCL vs. MCD - Dividend Comparison
RCL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.70%, less than MCD's 2.58% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MCD McDonald's Corporation | 2.58% | 2.35% | 2.34% | 2.10% | 2.15% | 1.96% | 2.35% | 2.39% | 2.36% | 2.23% | 2.97% | 2.91% |
RCL Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. | 1.70% | 1.25% | 0.41% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 1.04% | 2.22% | 2.66% | 1.81% | 2.08% | 1.33% |
Financials
RCL vs. MCD - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and McDonald's Corporation. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
RCL vs. MCD - Profitability Comparison
RCL - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. reported a gross profit of 2.21B and revenue of 4.45B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 49.5%.
MCD - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, McDonald's Corporation reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 6.52B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.
RCL - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. reported an operating income of 1.16B and revenue of 4.45B, resulting in an operating margin of 26.1%.
MCD - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, McDonald's Corporation reported an operating income of 2.95B and revenue of 6.52B, resulting in an operating margin of 45.3%.
RCL - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. reported a net income of 941.00M and revenue of 4.45B, resulting in a net margin of 21.1%.
MCD - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, McDonald's Corporation reported a net income of 1.98B and revenue of 6.52B, resulting in a net margin of 30.4%.
Frequently Asked Questions
RCL and MCD have a correlation of 0.27, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
RCL has higher volatility (14.15%) compared to MCD (4.96%). In terms of maximum drawdown, RCL dropped -89.49% vs MCD's -73.20%.
RCL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.27 vs -0.23), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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