Industry Performance & Trends - The Invesco Leisure and Entertainment ETF has outperformed the broader market over the last three months [1] - Cruise industry booking volumes have normalized, growing at a low to mid single-digit percentage year-over-year, compared to roughly 20% growth entering the year [5] - Consumer confidence is down, contributing to booking trends more similar to pre-COVID levels [8] - Softening is being observed in different parts of the travel trade after several years of strong results [9] Company Specific Analysis (Royal Caribbean) - Royal Caribbean stock has had a great run, outperforming in the past two years, including an 83% increase in the last three months [1][3] - Truth Securities is downgrading Royal Caribbean to "hold" due to normalization in the cruise industry and high valuations [2][5] Investment Opportunities - Norwegian Cruise Lines is considered a catch-up name and an underperformer within the cruise sector [10][11] - Hyatt Hotels is mentioned as a hotel chain that hasn't performed as well as Hilton, suggesting potential relative value [10][11] Underlying Travel Trends - Research indicates underlying travel trends have been mediocre and lethargic [10]

Heightened volatility in the Japanese government bond market has led the Bank of Japan to consider slowing the pace of tapering in its bond purchases from next fiscal year moving forward. Longerterm yields have spiked to record highs, reflecting investors concern over Japan's worsening public finances. A decision is expected to be made next week when the board reviews their current tapering plan and tries to map out 2026.At their last meeting a few weeks ago, the Bank of Japan received numerous requests fro ...