Royal Caribbean Stock Rises As Investors Eye Tariff Easing: What's Going On?

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd RCL shares are trading higher by 4.80% to $209.26 Wednesday, rising in step with the broader market following renewed optimism over U.S.–China trade tensions.

What To Know: Shares of the Miami-based cruise operator jumped amid investor enthusiasm sparked by a report that the Trump administration is considering cutting steep tariffs on Chinese imports.

According to the WSJ report, officials are exploring options to reduce current levies by up to half, potentially bringing tariffs down to 50–65%. A tiered approach is also under review, with 35% tariffs on non-strategic goods and at least 100% on items critical to national security, phased in over five years.

Read Also: Goldman Sachs Backs ‘Copper Tariff Trade’ If Trump Slaps 25% Duty On US Imports

President Donald Trump confirmed the shift in tone Tuesday, saying the 145% tariffs he imposed on China "will come down," though he added, "it won't be zero."

Markets, roiled in recent weeks by escalating trade threats, welcomed the news. China responded by signaling openness to new negotiations, further boosting investor sentiment.

Royal Caribbean, which depends heavily on stable global trade for fuel costs, shipbuilding materials and international tourism flows, stands to benefit from a potential de-escalation.

Wall Street's bullish response overshadowed weaker-than-expected U.S. services data, suggesting resilience in select sectors despite economic headwinds.

Read Also: Boeing Clocks 18% Q1 Topline Growth, Plans Production Expansion For 737 And 787

How To Buy RCL Stock

By now you're likely curious about how to participate in the market for Royal Caribbean – be it to purchase shares, or even attempt to bet against the company.

Buying shares is typically done through a brokerage account. You can find a list of possible trading platforms here. Many will allow you to buy “fractional shares,” which allows you to own portions of stock without buying an entire share.

In the case of Royal Caribbean, which is trading at $209.26 as of publishing time, $100 would buy you 0.48 shares of stock.

If you're looking to bet against a company, the process is more complex. You'll need access to an options trading platform, or a broker who will allow you to “go short” a share of stock by lending you the shares to sell. The process of shorting a stock can be found at this resource. Otherwise, if your broker allows you to trade options, you can either buy a put option, or sell a call option at a strike price above where shares are currently trading – either way it allows you to profit off of the share price decline.

According to data from Benzinga Pro, RCL has a 52-week high of $277.08 and a 52-week low of $130.08.