The Motley Foolยท2025-11-09 10:25Core Insights - The COVID-19 pandemic created contrasting outcomes for Carnival and Roblox, with Carnival facing severe challenges while Roblox thrived during the lockdowns [1][2] Carnival's Performance - Carnival's total revenue dropped from $20.8 billion in fiscal 2019 to $1.9 billion in fiscal 2021 due to the pandemic, resulting in net losses of $10.2 billion in fiscal 2020 and $9.5 billion in fiscal 2021 [4] - To maintain solvency, Carnival idled ships, cut spending, and increased its year-end debt from $11.5 billion in fiscal 2019 to $33.2 billion in fiscal 2021 [5] - By fiscal 2023, Carnival's revenue rebounded to $21.6 billion, exceeding pre-pandemic levels, and is projected to grow to $25 billion in fiscal 2024, with a net profit of $1.9 billion [8] - Analysts forecast Carnival's revenue and earnings per share (EPS) to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5% and 24% respectively from fiscal 2024 to fiscal 2027 [9] Roblox's Performance - Roblox experienced significant growth during the pandemic, with bookings surging 45% in 2021 and daily active users (DAUs) increasing by 40% [13] - However, as pandemic restrictions eased, Roblox's growth metrics slowed, leading to a drop in stock price to a low of $21.65 in May 2022 [14] - In 2023, Roblox's bookings increased by 23%, and DAUs rose from 58.8 million in fiscal 2022 to 85.3 million in fiscal 2024, indicating a recovery [15] - Despite this growth, Roblox is expected to remain unprofitable due to high infrastructure costs and nearly $1 billion in debt [16] Investment Outlook - While Roblox has shown strong growth, its capital-intensive model raises sustainability concerns, whereas Carnival, despite slower growth, is profitable and presents a more attractive investment opportunity in the current market [17]