Investors often turn to recommendations made by Wall Street analysts before making a Buy, Sell, or Hold decision about a stock. While media reports about rating changes by these brokerage-firm employed (or sell-side) analysts often affect a stock's price, do they really matter?
Like most tourism-oriented companies, Carnival stock has performed well since 2023; however, it is still undervalued in the market, with a target price of $25.18. Carnival is in an unrivaled position within the cruise industry, and recent announcements show that management only expects this to continue. The main risks to Carnival surround its bottom line, but these have clear mitigants, and the company should be able to operate with this strength for the foreseeable future.
Here is how Carnival (CCL) and Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) have performed compared to their sector so far this year.
Carnival has been posting huge bottom-line beats for more than a year now. Customer deposits for future sailings are at record highs, $1.1 billion more than where they were a year ago.
Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks.
Carnival managed to survive the COVID-19 pandemic. But it has left the cruise line buried under a mountain of debt.
CCL was hit hard during the pandemic, issuing $25.0B in net debt and $2.5B in equity since. There was a significant shift of value from shareholders to bondholders, but that process is now on the verge of being reversed. Carnival's Free Cash Flow generation due to higher earnings and lower capex will lead to a better Net Debt/EBITDA ratio, with significantly lower interest expenses.
Carnival is benefiting from strong demand for cruise vacations amid a healthy market for travel. Roku's 81 million streaming households are paving the way for great returns to shareholders.
Carnival Corp recently reported all-time records for booking position. Carnival has made steady progress in reducing debt.
There's still plenty of smooth sailing ahead for some of the top cruise stocks to buy. Carnival (NYSE: CCL ), for example, just raised its full-year earnings outlook after strong demand for cruises helped it post a surprise profit.
Investing in growth stocks under $25 can be a strategic move for investors looking to capitalize on high-potential companies without breaking the bank. These stocks can belong to companies in the early stages of expansion or have tremendous revenue and profit potential.
Shares of cruise ship companies moved higher Monday after Hurricane Beryl was downgraded to a tropical storm.