Wall Street rebounded on Friday after suffering over a week on growing concerns over rising inflation and the Federal Reserve’s hawkish outlook for rate cuts in 2025. However, fresh data showed that inflation cooled in November, bringing some relief to investors who were bracing for a tough 2025.Cooling inflation could lead to the Fed changing its stance on the monetary policy, which could see more rate cuts than expected. Inflation has declined sharply over the past year and is on track to meet the Fed’s 2 ...

Carnival Co. & TodayCCLCarnival Co. &$26.80 +1.62 (+6.43%) 52-Week Range$13.78▼$27.17P/E Ratio23.93Price Target$26.62Add to WatchlistCarnival Cruise Lines' NYSE: CCL share price is up about 50% for 2024 and rallying in the second half because the business is strong. Details from fiscal 2025 include sustained growth following industry normalization, record results, and improving guidance. Results include healthy cash flow, balance sheet improvements, and an outlook for investment-grade debt quality to be re ...

Providing alpha-generating investment ideas. I am an independent investor managing my family's portfolio, primarily via a Self Managed Super Fund. You can expect my articles to deliver a clearly structured, evidence-based thesis. But first and foremost, I encourage readers to judge me on my performance.I have a generalist approach as I explore, analyze and invest in any sector so long there is perceived alpha potential vs the S&P500. The typical holding period ranges between a few quarters to multiple years ...

Carnival (CCL) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.14 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.08 per share. This compares to loss of $0.07 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 75%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this cruise operator would post earnings of $1.17 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.27, delivering a surprise of 8.55%.Over the last four quarters, the company has surp ...

Carnival Corporation & plc (CCL) reported impressive fourth-quarter fiscal 2024 results, with earnings and revenues beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The top and the bottom lines increased on a year-over-year basis. The upside was primarily backed by sustained demand strength and increased booking volumes.Stay up-to-date with all quarterly releases: See Zacks Earnings Calendar.Carnival continues to enhance shareholder value through improved operational efficiency across its fleet. The company has reache ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported a fourth-quarter net income improvement of over $250 million year-over-year, exceeding expectations by over $125 million [8] - Full-year revenues reached an all-time high of $25 billion, with cash from operations nearly $6 billion [9] - The yield for 2024 increased by 11%, significantly driven by higher prices, with yields finishing nearly 250 basis points better than original guidance [9][11] - The company achieved a 4.3 times net debt to EBITDA ratio, a nearly two and a half turn improvement from 2023 [41] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company experienced broad-based price increases across all major brands, with price growth ranging from mid-single-digit to mid-teen percentages [10] - Onboard spending levels accelerated sequentially each quarter throughout the year, contributing to the overall yield growth [10][20] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Booking volumes for 2025 were higher year-on-year, with both price and occupancy increasing for each quarter [14] - North American and European segments achieved their longest advanced booking windows on record, indicating strong demand [15] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on enhancing its destination strategy, with the opening of Celebration Key planned for July 2025, which is expected to drive significant customer interest [26][29] - The company aims to improve operational execution across its brands and enhance marketing efforts to attract new cruise guests [20][23] - Sustainability efforts are ongoing, with a target of a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions intensity by the end of 2026 [31] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in 2025 being another strong year, with yield growth expected to exceed 4% [13] - The company is optimistic about achieving investment-grade leverage metrics by 2026, with ongoing debt reduction efforts [41][43] Other Important Information - The company has paid down over $8 billion of debt since January 2023, significantly reducing interest expenses [32] - The company is actively working on enhancing customer awareness of its destinations, aiming to attract both cruisers and non-cruisers [70][72] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you elaborate on the foundation laid over the last two years? - Management highlighted restructuring efforts, improved revenue management, and enhanced marketing as key components of their strategy [51][54] Question: What is the breakdown of net cruise cost ex-fuel components? - The increase in cruise costs was attributed to several factors, including inflation and higher advertising expenses, partially offset by efficiency initiatives [58][60] Question: How is the customer awareness of Celebration Key? - Management acknowledged that awareness is still ramping up as the destination is not yet operational, but they are building excitement [66][67] Question: What is the expected impact of Celebration Key on yield guidance? - Celebration Key is included in the guidance, but it currently represents only 5% of total sailings for 2025 [95] Question: How sustainable is the organic growth being observed? - Management indicated that both industry trends and internal improvements contribute to the organic growth, with a focus on enhancing customer experiences [106][108] Question: What is the company's long-term leverage target? - The current target is to achieve investment-grade metrics, with no specific target set for a two times leverage ratio at this time [134]

Core Insights - Carnival reported revenue of $5.94 billion for the quarter ended November 2024, marking a year-over-year increase of 10% and exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.05% [1] - The company achieved an EPS of $0.14, a significant improvement from -$0.07 a year ago, resulting in an EPS surprise of 75% compared to the consensus estimate of $0.08 [1] Financial Metrics - Available lower berth days (ALBDs) were reported at 23.9 million, slightly below the average estimate of 23.94 million [3] - The occupancy percentage reached 103%, surpassing the estimated 102.7% [3] - Passenger cruise days (PCDs) totaled 24.6 million, slightly above the average estimate of 24.59 million [3] - Fuel cost per metric ton consumed was $618, higher than the average estimate of $590.42 [3] - Net yields per ALBD were reported at $190.53, marginally above the average estimate of $190.52 [3] - Fuel consumption was 700 Kmt, closely aligning with the estimated 699.83 Kmt [3] - Revenue from passenger tickets was $3.85 billion, slightly below the average estimate of $3.87 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 9.8% [3] - Onboard and other revenues reached $2.08 billion, exceeding the average estimate of $2.06 billion, with a year-over-year change of 10.5% [3] - Revenues from tours and other activities were $33 million, below the average estimate of $33.39 million, indicating a year-over-year decline of 34% [3] Stock Performance - Over the past month, Carnival's shares have returned -0.7%, matching the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.7% change [4] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), suggesting potential outperformance against the broader market in the near term [4]

Core Insights - Carnival's fiscal fourth-quarter results for 2024 exceeded expectations, continuing a trend of strong performance in the cruise line industry [1][3][8] - The company has consistently topped earnings expectations over the past two years, with analysts raising price targets for the stock [3][9] - Carnival's adjusted profit for the quarter was significantly higher than previous guidance, showcasing its ability to outperform market predictions [11] Financial Performance - Revenue for the quarter rose 10% to $5.94 billion, surpassing Wall Street projections [10] - Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) reached $0.14, doubling analysts' expectations and marking the sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit percentage beats [11] - Customer deposits for future sailings increased to $6.4 billion, a 7% rise year-over-year, indicating strong demand [6] Market Position - Carnival shares have more than tripled since the beginning of 2023, reflecting investor confidence and strong financial results [9] - The stock is currently trading at less than 15 times projected earnings for the new fiscal year, suggesting it may be undervalued [7] - The company has reduced its debt by over $8 billion in the past two years, positioning itself for continued growth into fiscal 2025 [15] Future Outlook - The near-term outlook for Carnival is promising, with strong bookings for the next two fiscal years [14] - The company is expected to maintain solid performance in the upcoming quarters, supported by favorable market conditions [13][14]

MIAMI (December 20, 2024) - Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2024 and provided an outlook for the first quarter and full year 2025. "We are delivering long-term value for our shareholders through improved operational execution across our brands, essentially on a same ship basis. We ended 2024 with adjusted ROIC of 11 percent, comfortably above our cost of capital. In fact, with one year down, we're already over 80 percent ...

Expects to hit 2026 SEA Change EBITDA target one year early MIAMI, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2024 and provided an outlook for the first quarter and full year 2025. Key Highlights  Full year revenues hit an all-time high of $25 billion, over 15 percent higher than the prior year, with continued strength in demand. Full year net income of $1.9 billion; adjusted net income1 of $1.9 billio ...