Carnival (CCL) appears an attractive pick, as it has been recently upgraded to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). This upgrade primarily reflects an upward trend in earnings estimates, which is one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices.A company's changing earnings picture is at the core of the Zacks rating. The system tracks the Zacks Consensus Estimate -- the consensus measure of EPS estimates from the sell-side analysts covering the stock -- for the current and following years.Since a changing ea ...

Viking Holdings (VIK) is expected to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2025. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price. The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on August 1 ...

Core Insights - Royal Caribbean (RCL) has a strong track record of exceeding earnings estimates, particularly in the last two quarters, with an average surprise of 7.89% [1][5] - The company reported earnings of $2.53 per share for the most recent quarter, falling short of the expected $2.71, resulting in a surprise of 7.11% [2] - For the previous quarter, Royal Caribbean exceeded expectations by reporting $1.63 per share against a consensus estimate of $1.50, achieving a surprise of 8.67% [2] Earnings Estimates and Predictions - Recent changes in earnings estimates for Royal Caribbean have been favorable, with a positive Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) indicating potential for an earnings beat [5][8] - The current Earnings ESP for Royal Caribbean stands at +1.25%, suggesting analysts have become more optimistic about the company's earnings prospects [8] - Stocks with a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) or better have a nearly 70% chance of producing a positive surprise [6][8] Importance of Earnings ESP - The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate, with the Most Accurate Estimate reflecting the latest analyst revisions [7] - A negative Earnings ESP reduces predictive power but does not necessarily indicate an earnings miss [8] - Monitoring a company's Earnings ESP prior to quarterly releases is crucial for increasing the likelihood of successful investment decisions [10]