Carnival’s Strong Q3 Performance and Favorable Bunker Costs Support Buy Rating

William Blair analyst Sharon Zackfia has reiterated their bullish stance on CCL stock, giving a Buy rating today.

Sharon Zackfia’s rating is based on the anticipation of Carnival’s performance exceeding expectations in the third quarter. The company is likely to surpass its guidance with strong close-in bookings and onboard spending, which should result in net yields outperforming the projected 3.5% growth.
Additionally, despite an expected increase in cruise costs excluding fuel, due to factors such as the opening of Celebration Key and increased advertising expenses, the favorable bunker costs since the guidance was issued suggest a potential earnings per share upside. These factors combined contribute to the positive outlook and support the Buy rating.

In another report released today, Barclays also maintained a Buy rating on the stock with a $37.00 price target.