Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL) Q3 Earnings PreviewAs Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL) prepares to report its Q3 earnings today, September 30th, 2024, before the market opens, investors are eager to see if the company can continue its positive momentum. Following a strong Q2 performance where Carnival beat analysts’ revenue estimates by 1.9%, the company has set high expectations for Q3. In this article, we will analyze both the technical and fundamental aspects of Carnival's stock, helping investors understand what to expect and how the market may react.
Q3 Expectations and Broader Market Sentiment
Carnival’s Q2 2024 earnings were a resounding success. The cruise giant reported revenues of $5.78 billion, up 17.7% year on year, surpassing expectations. Passenger cruise days also saw a significant increase, reaching 24.3 million, an 11.5% growth over the previous year. These solid figures reflected the company's resilience and recovery in a post-pandemic environment. For Q3, analysts expect revenues to grow by 14.1% year-on-year to $7.82 billion, albeit at a slower pace compared to the explosive 59.2% growth seen in Q3 2023. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) are projected at $1.15.
Analysts have largely reconfirmed their estimates for Carnival over the last month, suggesting confidence in the company’s ability to meet its guidance. However, Carnival has missed revenue expectations twice in the past two years, keeping investors cautious. Meanwhile, positive sentiment surrounding the consumer discretionary sector has driven average stock prices up by 4.9% in the past month, with Carnival outperforming the sector, climbing 14.6% over the same period.
In terms of valuation, the average analyst price target for Carnival stands at $28, representing significant upside potential from its current share price of $18.72. With a healthy balance sheet, Carnival is also well-positioned for share buybacks, adding further value to shareholders if management chooses to repurchase shares at attractive levels.
Technical Analysis: A Balanced Picture with Cautious Optimism
From a technical perspective, Carnival’s stock has been in a generally bullish trend, currently trading above its key moving averages. As of this morning’s premarket session, NYSE:CCL is up 0.86%, showing investor confidence heading into the earnings release. The relative strength index (RSI) for CCL stock stood at 62 last Friday, indicating a positive sentiment but not yet at overbought levels. This suggests that there’s room for further gains if Carnival delivers strong earnings today.
However, there are potential risks on the horizon. The stock has been trading in a rising channel pattern for some time, which is generally bullish, but recent candlestick formations indicate a possible cooldown. This has raised concerns about a near-term correction, especially if earnings disappoint. A negative earnings surprise could trigger a selloff, with the stock potentially dropping back to its recent 1-month lows.
Conversely, a positive earnings beat could drive Carnival’s stock to new highs, pushing past resistance levels and potentially sparking further momentum as institutional investors pile in. The next critical resistance level sits around $22, while support is closer to $16.50.
Industry Tailwinds: Cruise Sector Recovery
Despite short-term technical concerns, Carnival remains well-positioned within the broader travel and cruise industry. Cruise demand has surged in 2024 as pent-up demand from the pandemic has fueled consumer interest in leisure travel. Carnival has capitalized on this by raising its FY2024 guidance and providing optimistic commentary on FY2025. In fact, many of Carnival's peers in the travel and cruise segment have reported similar trends, showing strong demand and improving profitability.
Additionally, inflation has started to ease, and fuel costs, a significant expense for cruise operators, have remained relatively stable. This should benefit Carnival’s operating margins moving forward.
Conclusion
Carnival Corporation’s Q3 earnings report will serve as a critical indicator of the company’s future trajectory. While the company has shown resilience with strong revenue and passenger growth, the market will be watching closely to see if this momentum continues into the latter half of 2024.
From a technical standpoint, the stock appears poised for further gains, but bearish signals warrant caution. A strong earnings beat could push NYSE:CCL to new highs, but a disappointing report may trigger a near-term pullback. Fundamentals remain solid with promising industry tailwinds and analyst confidence, making Carnival a stock to watch closely in the coming days.
Investors should keep an eye on both the earnings report and the stock’s price action post-release to gauge market sentiment and adjust their strategies accordingly. Whether Carnival can continue its upward trajectory or faces short-term volatility, one thing is certain: all eyes are on the cruise giant as it sets sail into Q3 earnings.
Carnivalcruises
Carnival Cruise Lines | CCL | Time to go long in the teens?Carnival Cruise Lines NYSE:CCL , like NYSE:NCLH , never fully recovered from the 2020 market crash. From a technical analysis standpoint, this stock may be poised for a nice upward trend soon after consolidating in my selected primary simple average. It is currently in my personal buy zone in the high teens.
Target #1 - $28.00
Target #2 - $49.00
Target #3 - $62.00 (very long-term)
Carnival Cruises to New Heights Amidst Surge in DemandCarnival Corporation ( NYSE:CCL ) is riding a wave of record-breaking demand for cruise vacations, propelling the company to raise its annual profit forecast and solidify its position as a leader in the cruise industry. As travelers increasingly opt for sea-bound adventures over traditional land-based holidays, Carnival is experiencing an unprecedented surge in bookings, setting the stage for a landmark year of growth and profitability.
With cruise operators witnessing all-time high booking rates, Carnival ( NYSE:CCL ) is capitalizing on this trend by delivering exceptional results in the first quarter of the year. CEO Josh Weinstein expressed delight at the company's stellar performance, citing "record bookings and record customer deposits" as indicators of a promising start to the year. This sentiment was echoed by Carnival's robust first-quarter revenue, which soared by 22% to $5.41 billion, in line with analysts' expectations.
Notably, Carnival's bookings for the remainder of 2024 are on track to surpass previous records, with total customer deposits reaching an impressive $7 billion in the first quarter alone. The company also reported a surge of over 30% in new-to-cruise customers, underscoring the broadening appeal of cruise vacations in today's travel landscape.
While Carnival's first-quarter beat was primarily driven by cost efficiencies rather than revenue, the company remains resilient in the face of challenges such as disruptions in the Red Sea region and fluctuating fuel prices. Despite facing headwinds, Carnival's proactive approach to cost management has resulted in significant cost improvements, offsetting the impact of external factors.
However, the company has not been immune to unforeseen events, such as the recent collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, which is estimated to have an impact of up to $10 million on full-year adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income. Nevertheless, Carnival remains bullish about its prospects, raising its full-year adjusted profit per share forecast to 98 cents, a testament to its confidence in sustained growth and profitability.
Technical Outlook
Carnival Cruise ( NYSE:CCL ) is trading with a bullish Relative Strength Index (RSI) of 65.88 indicating the Bullish Trend continues with the chart pattern showing a bullish flag pattern and the candle stick depicting a bullish engulfing. All these signs accentuate the bullish nature of Carnival Cruise ( NYSE:CCL ).
As Carnival continues to navigate the complexities of the cruise industry, investors are optimistic about the company's ability to capitalize on the unprecedented demand for cruise vacations and deliver long-term value. With a strong outlook and a commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction, Carnival is poised to chart a course towards a brighter future in the ever-evolving world of travel and leisure.
Carnival Posts Record $21 Billion RevenueThe cruise line posted $12.2 billion in full-year total revenue for 2022.
Investors have paid higher prices over time to buy Carnival and the stock is in a rising trend channel. The company experiences positive development and buy interest among investors is increasing. NYSE:CCL has received a positive signal from the moving average indicator, thus signaling a continued rise.
An upward breakthrough of $19.30 means a positive signal. NYSE:CCL has strong positive momentum and further increase is indicated. However, particularly for big stocks.
Waiting for CCL to reach Loading Zones (Technical An) MonthlyGood morning investors. I am personally waiting for CCL to reach the LZ 1 or 2 to enter. Will be happy with an in between entry around $10.50. After predicting a comeback of the Airline Industry now expecting a shift to the upside very soon on the Cruise Lines. Norwegian another cruise line to watch out for.
Both companies with major upside potential. This is just technical analysis of course but will also be looking at the fundamentals of these 2 companies. Lots of rumors about a potential collapse on CCL of course all hearsay and speculation, don't really think that will happen at least any time soon, but nonetheless, these 2 companies since COVID have yet to recover, here is what I am predicting, hope you enjoy and only time will tell.
Happy Trading everyone!
Carnival PLC’s (NYSE:CCL) Stock Performance TodayCarnival PLC (CCL) Stock Performance and Revenue Growth:
Carnival PLC (CCL) is a well-known cruise line company that operates globally. On November 22, 2023, the stock market opened with CCL shares at $14.52, showing a slight increase from the previous day’s closing price of $14.20. Throughout the day, the stock’s price fluctuated between a low of $14.49 and a high of $14.75. The trading volume for the day was 2,368,077 shares, significantly lower than the average volume of 27,925,027 shares over the past three months. The market cap for Carnival PLC is approximately $16.6 billion.
Carnival PLC has also experienced substantial revenue growth in the past year, with a growth rate of +537.74%. This growth can be attributed to various factors, including increased demand for cruises and the company’s expansion into new markets. However, it is important to note that the company’s profitability has been a concern. In the previous year, Carnival PLC reported an annual loss of -$6.1 billion, resulting in a net profit margin of -50.07%.
The stock’s performance on November 22, 2023, was relatively positive compared to its competitors in the cruise line industry. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH) saw a 3.21% increase, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) had a 2.20% increase, and Carnival PLC itself experienced a 2.82% increase in stock price.
Carnival PLC operates in the consumer services sector, specifically in the hotels/resorts/cruise lines industry. The company’s corporate headquarters are located in Miami, Florida. However, no executives were listed in the provided information.
In conclusion, Carnival PLC’s stock performance on November 22, 2023, showed a slight increase compared to the previous day’s closing price. The company has exhibited impressive earnings growth in the past year but is expected to face challenges in the coming years. Investors should closely monitor the next reporting date and the company’s financial performance to make informed investment decisions.
Carnival Cruises - Too Big to Fail and a Generational Buy OppoCovid and the broader financial market freakout has decimated the "premier" Walmart brand of cruising. But at the same time it is essentially too big to fail. That’s why I still see it as a rebound play despite the ongoing pandemic and omicron variant.
It, along with Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line simply define the industry. The three companies collectively account for $52.96 billion of the $53.42 billion in market capitalization within the cruise line sector.
Carnival is the largest and most important player in the industry.
IGNORE THE BEARISH TAKE AND INSTEAD BUY AND FORGET
The bear thesis against Carnival relates to the ongoing pandemic. It has been a very trying period for cruise ship operators. That long, trying journey continues. In fact, at the end of 2021 the CDC increased its travel warning for cruises to the highest level. It also issued the warning that the risk remains very high in spite of vaccination status.
The idea underpinning this argument is that cruise ship operators have had to take on increasingly massive debt loads. Yes, operating cruise ships is a capital intensive business. And yes, Carnival’s debt load has increased. As of Nov. 30 its long-term debt sat at $33 billion. That was up from $26.95 billion a year prior. So yes, it is rising, and yes, most would characterize that as a ‘massive’ debt load.
The consequences of the debt load it took on during the pandemic will be felt for several years. But at the same time, Carnival will remain the largest cruise line in the world. It isn’t dead, it isn’t going bankrupt, and no other cruise line is going to usurp its position in the industry.
But it isn’t as if Carnival is at risk of going bankrupt. At last check, it maintained $7.8 billion in liquidity. Yes, that’s less than the $9.51 billion in liquidity it reported a year earlier. Losing over $1 billion is a big loss, but considering their operations have been shuttered almost entirely, it’s impressive they still have that much.
In other words, Carnival is still the biggest cruise ship operator on the planet, and that means its still a rebound and reopening play.
Dare I say, this generational buy opportunity in this current era of inflation and despair may prove to be the best investment I have made since Bitcoin back in ~2013
That is NOT to say it WONT go lower in the short term, in fact RH finally allows for limit orders and I have more set down to $4.
But this is a definite buy and forget.
Bullish Carnival Cruise Swing TradeIt looks like the MACD just turned green and broke a previous resistance line on the daily chart. We could possibly see a future pump as long and the price holds above previous resistance line.
If your placeing long positions. Here are prices you may want to consider taking profits.
1st TP is at $13
2nd TP is at $16
Carnival Cruises CUK & CCL Carnaval Cruises (CUK & CCL) has come back down to initial covid shock levels. Although this time the stock isn’t at this price because the company cannot operate. Rather the US market is experiencing systemic risk and as a result, irrational selling is just pulling down the price of overvalued company’s but undervalued company’s as well.
Carnivals Cruises Earnings
Last quarter earnings - 1.6
Next fiscal year estimate 1.4
As Carnival Cruises gets back into the black and starts to report profits to the market, the fair value of the company will increase. This means the future value of the company is not reflected in todays price.
Buy & Hold
Reaccumulation SchematicWyckoff schematics come in many different forms but originate from a basis of 3 other schematics: distribution, accumulation, and reaccumulation. Reaccumulation patterns consist of many creeks and channels. As you may see here, the minor creek has been broken with a lot of volume. Then, after a big jump--wide spread and high volume-- we saw another break of the major creek creating a major sign of strength. This momentum was enough to confirm a breakout and create an LPS to add to a profitable position. The LPS is shown here in the circle. It is hard to see on a 15 min time frame, but it does exist there for a perfect low risk entry.
$CCL Carnival Corp - A historical analysis for studyAfter Carnival Corp. set a 52 week high the stock tumbled into a descending channel. Which then broke down almost unbelievably into a 'descending inverted scallop'. This ending in a recovery which ultimately was a 'Wolfe wave' that set a new horizontal descending support.
Carnival. Another delay in recovery.Carnival Corporation is the world's largest travel company, founded in 1972. Today it is the leading cruise operator serving nearly half of the world's cruise travel market. Has a global presence in North America, Australia, Europe and Asia. It operates a fleet of more than 100 ships and owns a portfolio of leading global, regional and national brands of economy and premium cruise lines such as Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, AIDA and others. Carnival Cruise Line, the most popular global brand, carries more than 5 million guests every year. In addition to cruise operations, the company owns Alaska's leading tour company - Holland America Princess Alaska Tours.
➡️ The cruise industry is still unprofitable in the context of the Covid-19, as the tourist flow does not have time to recover due to regular new pandemic waves. And now the positive expectations for next year are beginning to fade - the company faced a large number of cancellations for flights in the coming months, which is caused by a lot of positive pre-cruise tests. Demand for flights in the second half of 2022 is also below expectations at the moment.
➡️ On the chart, you can see that the growth after the spring collapse of 2020 developed in zigzags. Structurally, the movement is similar to the leading diagonal, which may indicate that the low set in early April 2020 is the starting point for a new strong trend.
In the decline from $31 that began in June 2021, I highlight the emerging single zigzag with a potential diagonal in wave {c}of2. The movement develops within the channel formed by the Schiff’s Pitchfork, the borders and the middle line of which are confirmed by the price reaction.
It is logical to expect the end of the correction in the range of $13 - $17 , because that’s where the main volumetric zone of all previous growth is located.
📌 Alternatively, we can assume that correction 2 ended at the end of 2021 at the level of $16.5 , and now we are seeing some starting waves within wave 3 already. in my opinion, it is more doubtful structurally (wave {a} then should be a zigzag, which it does not look like) and is not at all supported by the fundamental that I cited at the beginning.
📉 I assume that the fall may stop at $13-13.5 , where the lower boundary of the pitchfork and the Fibonacci correction level of 0.618 also pass.
➖ Cancellation of the scenario when the price rises above $23.3 .
Buy The Travel Sector CUKThe Omnicron variant has provided an investment opportunity in the travel sector.
Prior to the emergence of Omnicron, Travel destinations were beginning to plan pathways for reopening.
This gave confidence to the market that the future values of travel related stocks would be higher and as a result travel stocks recovered from pandemic market shock lows.
Since the start of the Omnicron market scare travel stocks have decreased in value significantly.
Currently, countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand are beginning the pathways back to pre covid travel levels by slowly easing entry restrictions.
Preliminary data shows Omnicron may be less severe and it will become the dominant variant. This gives us confidence that covid is mutating in a positive direction and the world will eventually open up as a result of the new variants low mortality rate.
We believe the travel sector will recover at some point leading us to conclude that current market valuations are selling at a discount.
Our plan is to front run the end of harsh pandemic travel restrictions and take a position in the travel sector.
The time horizon for this trade is between 8 weeks and 6 months.
We are expecting to close our position at a 10 to 30 percent gain.
Play Number One
Carnival Cruises, stock code CUK currently valued at 18 USD.
At the high of pandemic recovery Optimism, CUK was valued at 27 dollars. That is a 55 % increase in your investment back to the last recovery top.
Note: ignore carnival stock CCL because it is selling at a premium which could narrow if the U S economy weakens further.
Play Number Two
Flight Centre FLT. You can get exposure to this company on the Australian Stock Exchange. Flight Centre recovered to a price of 25 Australian Dollars and now sits at 16 dollars. When optimism returns and creates momentum, FLT may experience a 55% gain back to the highest pandemic recovery point.
We will post updates in the comment section as new information comes to light.
CCL Point ComparisonUsing Fib circles we can see the comparison point (in green)
As this pattern is bullish in the long run, I have added a rough MA curve for what an increase in price would look like
And also a bars pattern along with this, which shows potential bullish movement
CCL is currently the worlds largest travel leisure company
Where Carnival Cruise Line stands with the Delta VariantWith the increase in cases for the delta variant to coronavirus, the question remains: will certain industries suffer again and will their stocks fall?
In the case of Carnival Cruise Lines (one of the larger cruise lines by market cap) my prediction, short and sweet is yes, yes their stock seems poised to fall.
Looking at the 5 year chart for $CCL NYSE:CCL and zooming out we can see that in the last 15 months, the trend for the stock price has begun to form a channel up pattern, which generally has a bearish breakdown once it moves past the supporting price (bottom line). What is an event that could be enough to have $CCL break the support on this channel up? The fear mongering, uncertainty and future mandates that may arise with the delta variant
Is this the time to buy the dip?
For investors that are bullish for future cruise lines rebounding, your dip buying entry is close, but we are not there yet in the case of $CCL. While the candles have moved below the 20, 50, 100 and even 200 EMA (generally a good time to buy a dip), the MACD indicator at the bottom is still right around the y axis (yellow square). In my opinion, the best time to enter for a long term hold in this scenario would be if the candlesticks above fell through the support and broke down, and the MACD indicator in the yellow square fell far below the y axis of the MACD histogram.
Carnival Corporation and plc (CCL) for long termSignals
Position: long Entry price: 18.5
Target price: 28 Stop loss: 19
Indicators
RSI is very low under 25, better to wait till the price reaches the support line around 18.
Bullinger Bands and William Alligator are really opened, indicating a strong trend. So the price will probably reach the support.
ADX is really strong, indicating a strong momentum. It means that the price will lower again. Same clues from the MACD .
Conclusions
Carnival is expecting to have 42 ships back to service by the end of November, embracing a phase of operations restart. After the drop caused by the Covid-19, the company is sailing again in several destinations including the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.
As the vaccine campaign goes on, older people ( the major costumers of the cruise industry) will be fully protected and will buy tickets.
In the long term the price can reach $40 but if you want to be more conservative set the target price around 28/30.