UAL vs. RCL
UAL (United Airlines Holdings, Inc.) and RCL (Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.) are both stocks. UAL operates in Airlines (Industrials), while RCL operates in Travel Services (Consumer Cyclical). Over the past 10 years, UAL returned 10.62%/yr vs 16.48%/yr for RCL. At a 0.49 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
UAL vs. RCL - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, UAL achieves a 3.31% return, which is significantly lower than RCL's 6.66% return. Over the past 10 years, UAL has underperformed RCL with an annualized return of 10.62%, while RCL has yielded a comparatively higher 16.48% annualized return.
UAL
- 1D
- 2.58%
- 1M
- 24.42%
- YTD
- 3.31%
- 6M
- 8.12%
- 1Y
- 56.11%
- 3Y*
- 29.50%
- 5Y*
- 15.37%
- 10Y*
- 10.62%
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%
UAL vs. RCL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UAL United Airlines Holdings, Inc. | 3.31% | 15.16% | 135.34% | 9.44% | -13.89% | 1.23% | -50.90% | 5.21% | 24.23% | -7.52% |
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% |
Correlation
The correlation between UAL and RCL is 0.58, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.58 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.53 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.62 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.59 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 6, 2006 | 0.49 |
The correlation between UAL and RCL shifts across timeframes, from 0.49 (all time) to 0.62 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
UAL:
$37.75B
RCL:
$79.78B
UAL:
$11.21
RCL:
$16.41
UAL:
10.31
RCL:
17.94
UAL:
0.21
RCL:
0.82
UAL:
0.62
RCL:
4.37
UAL:
2.38
RCL:
8.13
UAL:
$60.47B
RCL:
$18.39B
UAL:
$38.71B
RCL:
$8.68B
UAL:
$7.99B
RCL:
$7.13B
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Return for Risk
UAL vs. RCL — Risk / Return Rank
UAL
RCL
UAL vs. RCL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (UAL) and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL). 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.
| UAL | RCL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.71 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.94 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.19 | 1.09 | +0.11 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.80 | 0.39 | +1.40 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 4.25 | 0.66 | +3.58 |
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Drawdowns
UAL vs. RCL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum UAL drawdown since its inception was -93.50%, roughly equal to the maximum RCL drawdown of -89.49%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for UAL and RCL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| UAL | RCL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -93.50% | -89.49% | -4.01% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -27.50% | -32.36% | +4.86% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -49.19% | -35.02% | -14.17% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -49.19% | -67.64% | +18.45% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -79.40% | -83.30% | +3.90% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.71% | -18.16% | +16.45% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -37.22% | -27.76% | -9.46% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 11.62% | 19.15% | -7.53% |
Volatility
UAL vs. RCL - Volatility Comparison
United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (UAL) has a higher volatility of 19.24% compared to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) at 14.15%. This indicates that UAL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than RCL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| UAL | RCL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 19.24% | 14.15% | +5.09% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 37.96% | 38.00% | -0.04% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 50.25% | 46.50% | +3.75% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 48.85% | 48.52% | +0.33% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 51.86% | 53.35% | -1.49% |
Dividends
UAL vs. RCL - Dividend Comparison
UAL has not paid dividends to shareholders, while RCL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.70%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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% |
UAL United Airlines Holdings, Inc. | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Financials
UAL vs. RCL - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between United Airlines Holdings, Inc. and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.. 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
UAL vs. RCL - Profitability Comparison
UAL - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, United Airlines Holdings, Inc. reported a gross profit of 9.11B and revenue of 14.61B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 62.4%.
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%.
UAL - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, United Airlines Holdings, Inc. reported an operating income of 997.00M and revenue of 14.61B, resulting in an operating margin of 6.8%.
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%.
UAL - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, United Airlines Holdings, Inc. reported a net income of 699.00M and revenue of 14.61B, resulting in a net margin of 4.8%.
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%.
Frequently Asked Questions
UAL and RCL have a correlation of 0.58, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
UAL has higher volatility (19.24%) compared to RCL (14.15%). In terms of maximum drawdown, UAL dropped -93.50% vs RCL's -89.49%.
UAL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.98 vs 0.27), 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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