Here is one stock with buy rank and strong value characteristics for investors to consider today, October 3:Carnival Corporation & plc (CCL) : This leisure travel services provider carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 7.6% over the last 60 days.Carnival Corporation & plc has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 14.16 compared with 23.11 for the S&P. The company possesses a Value Scoreof A.See the full list of top ranked stocks here. L ...

The status of cruise operations was in the spotlight after unionized dockworkers at ports along the East and Gulf coasts hit the picket lines on Tuesday. While cargo at many major ports has been disrupted since the beginning of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strike, the union said last week that its members would "continue to work passenger cruise vessels" during the work stoppage."We understand that many families plan and pay for cruise vacations on passenger ships more than a year out, ...

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Carnival has rebounded from the pandemic. Can the cruise stock keep moving higher?Few stocks were hit as hard by the pandemic as Carnival (CCL -2.49%), the world's largest cruise line operator. Carnival shares rebounded substantially from the nadir during the pandemic as the stock has more than doubled from its low two years ago.However, the travel stock arguably still has a lot of ground to make up as it's still down 65% from its pre-pandemic levels. Is it too late to buy Carnival or will the stock keep mo ...

Carnival Corporation & plc (CCL) reported impressive third-quarter fiscal 2024 results, with earnings and revenues beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The top and the bottom line increased on a year-over-year basis. The upside was primarily backed by sustained demand strength and increased booking volumes.Owing to strong demand and cost-saving opportunities, the company raised its full-year 2024 adjusted EBITDA guidance. Management expects net yields, at constant currency, to increase around 10.4% compare ...

Shares of Carnival Corp CCL tanked in early trading on Tuesday, even after the company reported upbeat third-quarter earnings.The Miami-based company reported its results amid an exciting earnings season. Here are some key analyst takeaways.Truist Securities analyst Patrick Scholes reiterated a Hold rating and price target of $20.Morgan Stanley analyst Jamie Rollo maintained an Underweight rating, while raising the price target from $15.00 to $16.50.Stifel analyst Steven M. Wieczynski reaffirmed a Buy ratin ...

Monday, September 30th, 2024Market fortunes resumed on this last trading day of September and calendar Q3. New all-time high closes on the Dow and S&P 500 again lead the way into Q4. The Dow eked out +17 points, +0.04%, to 42,330, while the S&P led all major indexes, +0.42%, to 5762. The Nasdaq rose +0.38% on the day, still -3% from its all-time highs back in July of this year, as it is with the small-cap Russell 2000, +0.09% for the session.A Very Brief History of Q3 in the Stock MarketCalendar third quart ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics - Revenue hit an all-time high of almost $8 billion, up $1 billion from last year's record levels [6] - Record EBITDA exceeded $2.8 billion, up $600 million over last year and $160 million over guidance [6] - Net income increased by over 60% compared to the prior year, achieving double-digit ROIC [6] - Full-year EBITDA guidance raised to $6 billion, $600 million above the prior peak and $400 million above original guidance [7] - ROIC expected to end the year at 10.5%, 1.5 points better than original guidance and almost double last year's ending point [7] - Customer deposits reached a record $7 billion in Q3, driven by strong bookings for 2024, 2025, and 2026 [9] Business Line Performance - High-margin same-ship yield growth across all major brands, not driven by capacity growth [6] - Onboard spending levels increased, with year-over-year improvement in onboard per diems accelerating [9] - All core deployments for 2025 are at higher prices than the prior year, with every brand well booked at higher pricing [8] - Nearly half of 2025 is already booked, with a widening price advantage compared to last year [8] - Record booking volumes for 2026 achieved in the last three months [9] Market Performance - European brands saw outsized growth in occupancy, up 5 percentage points compared to Q3 2023 [16] - Strong demand in both North America and Europe, with higher occupancy and pricing across all regions [24] - Web visits up over 40% versus 2019, paid search up more than 60%, and natural search up over 70% [12] - New-to-cruise and repeat guests both increased by double-digit percentages over last year [12] Strategic Direction and Industry Competition - Focus on high-margin same-ship yield growth and operational efficiency [6][13] - Introduction of new ships like Sun Princess and Star Princess, along with modernization programs like AIDA evolution [9][10] - Development of new destinations like Celebration Key and Half Moon Cay, expected to reduce fuel costs and environmental footprint [10][11] - Marketing efforts increased in Q4, with a focus on driving demand well in excess of capacity growth [11][12] - Limited new ship orders through 2028, with only three ships scheduled for delivery over the next four years [13] Management Commentary on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Strong demand and pricing trends expected to continue into 2025 and 2026 [8][9] - Focus on debt reduction and achieving investment-grade metrics, with a clear path to further debt paydown [13][22] - Expectation of substantial free cash flow driven by operational execution and low newbuild order book [22] - Management expressed confidence in maintaining momentum and achieving SEA Change targets [14][55] Other Important Information - Hurricane Helene had an insignificant financial impact on the company, with costs in the millions [81] - The company is not pursuing the Chinese market at this time, focusing instead on other regions like Japan and Taiwan [77] - The company is well-positioned to handle potential disruptions, such as conflicts in the Middle East, due to its mobile fleet and strong source markets [48] Q&A Session Summary Question: Momentum into 2025 and 2026 - The company is seeing broad-based strength across all regions, with higher occupancy and pricing for 2025 [24] - The booking curve has been pulled forward, allowing the company to take price [24] Question: Capital Priorities and Debt Reduction - The company's top priority is debt reduction, with a goal of achieving investment-grade metrics by the end of 2026 [26] Question: Fourth Quarter Yield Guidance - No significant change in yield guidance for Q4, with strong demand expected to continue [29] Question: Booking Window and Demand for Celebration Key - The company is managing the booking curve to maximize revenue, with some brands pulling back to avoid leaving money on the table [31] - Celebration Key is expected to provide a premium in 2026, with 19 ships scheduled to visit the destination [31] Question: Start of 2025 and Expense Shifts - The company is off to a better start for 2025 compared to 2024, with higher occupancy and pricing [37] - Some one-time cost savings, including pension credits, contributed to the improved cost guidance [38] Question: Cost Savings and Margin Opportunities - Cost savings were driven by hundreds of small items across the board, including crew travel savings, port savings, and sourcing savings [40] Question: Streamlining the Portfolio - The company is open to further streamlining the portfolio but feels good about its current position heading into 2025 [42] Question: Cost Inflation and Dry-Dock Impact - Inflation remains a factor, but the company is working on cost-saving opportunities to offset it [45] - Dry-dock days are expected to increase by 17% in 2025, impacting year-over-year cost comparisons [21] Question: Middle East Conflict Impact - The company's business is not contingent on the Middle East, as it is not a major source market [48] Question: Dry-Dock Schedule and Half Moon Cay Development - Detailed dry-dock schedules for 2025 are available upon request [51] - Half Moon Cay will focus on enhancing its natural beauty, with no plans for a water park [52] Question: SEA Change Progress and Land-Based Leisure Demand - The company is ahead of schedule on SEA Change targets, with strong performance in yields and costs [55] - The company sees a remarkable value proposition compared to land-based alternatives, driving demand [58] Question: New-to-Cruise and Younger Demographics - New-to-cruise guests increased by 17% year-over-year, driven by better advertising and trade efforts [112] - The company is attracting younger demographics, with Carnival Cruise Line's average guest age at 41 [65] Question: Celebration Key Halo Effect - Celebration Key is already seeing a premium in bookings, with strong demand expected to increase once the destination opens [67] Question: Consumer Behavior and Trade-Down Dynamics - The company is not seeing any trade-down dynamics, with demand broad-based across all brands [73] Question: Chinese Consumer and Asia Pacific Market - The company is not pursuing the Chinese market at this time, focusing on other regions like Japan and Taiwan [77] Question: Occupancy and Yield Opportunities - There is still room for occupancy improvement, but the focus remains on driving price [84] Question: Fuel Costs and Shore Power - Fuel costs are not impacted by shore power, as it is included in port expenses [86] Question: Sister Ship Orders and Debt Tranches - The company has no plans to order additional ships before 2029, focusing on debt reduction instead [88] - Debt reduction efforts are focused on high-cost debt and managing maturity towers [91] Question: Competitor Encroachment in Galveston - The company is not concerned about competitor encroachment, as it represents a small part of the overall cruise market [94] Question: Fourth Quarter Yield and Demand Hiccups - The company expects strong demand to continue in Q4, with no significant changes to yield guidance [96] Question: Investor Day and Key Topics - The upcoming investor day will focus on progress on SEA Change, Celebration Key, and cost-saving opportunities [100] Question: Demand Drivers and Advertising Spend - The company is not relying on pent-up demand, with strong demand driven by better commercial execution [105] - Advertising spend is focused on both short-term and long-term bookings, with no immediate plans to reduce it [109] Question: New-to-Cruise Acceleration - New-to-cruise growth was driven by better advertising, trade efforts, and strong performance in Alaska [113]

For the quarter ended August 2024, Carnival (CCL) reported revenue of $7.9 billion, up 15.2% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $1.27, compared to $0.86 in the year-ago quarter.The reported revenue represents a surprise of +1.04% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.81 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $1.17, the EPS surprise was +8.55%.While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectati ...

The largest cruise line operator tops its earlier guidance and raises the bar.The coast is clear for Carnival (CCL -3.45%) (CUK -3.85%) investors who were holding out for fresh financials to kick off the new trading week. The world's largest cruise line operator delivered a solid report for its fiscal third-quarter results on Monday morning, topping expectations on both ends of the income statement.The strong performance isn't really a surprise. A record $8.3 billion in customer deposits at the end of May a ...