Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd vs Ross Stores, Inc. — how do they compare? Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd trades at $18.9 (market cap $8.59B), while Ross Stores, Inc. trades at $249.06 (market cap $80.78B). The key difference: Ross Stores, Inc. is far larger — about 9.4× Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd's market cap, and Ross Stores, Inc. pays a 0.71% dividend while Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NCLH | ROST | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $8.59B | $80.78B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $26.94 | $255.23 |
52-Week Low | $14.79 | $144.67 |
Enterprise Value | $23.40B | $81.37B |
Dividend Yield | — | 0.71% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
NCLH trades at $19.09, up 2.91% today, with a bearish technical signal but recent earnings beats. The company reported Q2 2026 EPS of $0.48, exceeding the $0.4115 estimate, and revenue growth has improved from $4.8B in 2022 to $9.83B in 2025. However, net income margin declined to 4.3% in 2025 from 9.6% in 2024, and high debt levels remain a concern with total liabilities of $18.54B against equity of $1.43B.
The outlook is mixed: analyst consensus is a Buy with a $20.73 price target, but risks include volatile fuel costs, macroeconomic pressures on travel demand, and execution of turnaround plans. The stock offers value with a P/E of 11.33, yet investor sentiment is cautious due to recent guidance cuts and bearish technical indicators.
ROST trades at $250.45, down 1.72% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a consensus analyst price target of $259.00. The company has consistently beaten earnings estimates, with Q1 2026 EPS of $2.02 exceeding the $1.73 forecast. Strong fundamentals include a net income margin of 9.74% and ROE of 38.98%, supported by revenue growth to $21.13 billion in 2025 and recent expansion with 47 new stores opened in mid-2026.
The outlook remains positive given earnings momentum and store growth, but elevated valuation ratios like a P/E of 35.17 pose a risk if growth slows. Analyst sentiment is bullish with 64% buy ratings, though technical indicators show mixed signals with RSI near overbought levels. Investors should weigh robust profitability against high multiples in a competitive retail sector.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Norwegian Cruise Line is the world's third-largest cruise company by berths (at more than 62,000), operating 29 ships across three brands (Norwegian, Oceania, and Regent Seven Seas), offering both freestyle and luxury cruising. The company has redeployed its entire fleet as of May 2022. With eight passenger vessels on order among its brands through 2027 (representing 20,000 incremental berths), Norwegian is increasing capacity faster than its peers, expanding its brand globally. Norwegian sailed to around 500 global destinations before the pandemic.
Read more on NCLH →Ross Stores is a leading American off-price apparel and home fashion retailer, operating over 1,920 stores (at the end of fiscal 2021) across the Ross Dress for Less and dd's Discounts banners. Ross offers a variety of name-brand products and targets undercutting conventional retailers' regular prices by 20%-70%. The company uses an opportunistic, flexible merchandising approach
Read more on ROST →