Royal Caribbean Nears A Death Cross — Buybacks And Dividends Face A Technical Test

Cruise stocks are starting to look uneasy again. Just days after Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NYSE:NCLH) flashed a death cross, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd's (NYSE:RCL) chart is now drifting toward the same technical crossroads — even as shareholder-friendly headlines briefly lifted the stock.

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Royal Caribbean shares are up about 24% year to date, but the momentum has cooled fast. The stock is down nearly 15% over the past month and is now hovering in a zone technicians are watching closely.

RCL Stock Chart: A Death Cross Is Forming

Chart created using Benzinga Pro

Royal Caribbean is trading at approximately $283, near the intersection of its key long-term trend lines. The 50-day moving average at $278.64 and the 200-day moving average at $278.20 are converging rapidly, placing the stock on the brink of a potential Death Cross.

Shorter-term signals remain mixed. The stock is holding above its eight-day and 20-day averages, while the RSI (relative strength index) is near 59, suggesting momentum hasn't broken down completely. The MACD (moving average convergence/divergence) indicator remains slightly positive, pointing to hesitation rather than outright selling.

In technical terms, this is a warning phase — not a breakdown — but one that leaves little margin for error.

Read Also: Royal Caribbean Stock Navigates Choppy Waters: What’s Going On?

Shareholder Moves Gave Bulls A Brief Lift

That tension intensified after Royal Caribbean announced a new $2 billion share repurchase program and introduced a $1.00 quarterly dividend, payable in January 2026. The market liked the message. Shares had jumped roughly 5% on the announcement and extended gains over the following sessions, briefly pushing toward $280.

The rally also rode a broader tailwind from the Federal Reserve's recent rate cut, which eased debt concerns for heavily levered travel operators like cruise lines. But the bounce hasn't erased the chart risk — it has merely delayed the verdict.

Why It Matters

With Norwegian already slipping into bearish technical territory, Royal Caribbean's setup is being viewed as part of a broader cruise-sector stress test. If RCL fails to hold above the $278 zone, the death cross becomes more than a possibility — it becomes confirmation.

For now, buybacks and dividends are supporting sentiment. But the chart is asking the same question it's asking the rest of the cruise space: can fundamentals overpower weakening momentum, or are these stocks entering rougher seas?

Read Next:

• Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean Stocks Sink 20% —JPMorgan Says No Iceberg Ahead

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