Carnival Corporation & plc engages in the provision of leisure travel services in North America, Australia, Europe, Asia, and internationally. The company operates through four segments: NAA Cruise Operations, Europe Cruise Operations, Cruise Support, and Tour and Other. It operates port destinations, private islands, and a solar park, as well as owns and operates hotels, lodges, glass-domed railcars, and motor coaches. The company offers its services under the Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises, and Cunard brand. Additionally, it sells its cruises primarily through travel agents, tour operators, vacation planners, and websites. Carnival Corporation & plc was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Miami, Florida.

Carnival Corporation

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. RCL is entering a pivotal stage as its Perfecta financial plan gains momentum. Designed to deliver a 20% compound annual EPS growth rate through 2027 and return on invested capital in the high teens, Perfecta has become the company’s north star. With consumer demand for leisure travel surging and cruise vacations capturing a greater share of the $2 trillion global vacation market, RCL is uniquely positioned to execute on this ambitious blueprint.
Second-quarter 2025 results highlighted that trajectory. During the quarter, adjusted EPS came in at $4.38, a 36% year-over-year increase and $0.33 above guidance. Net yield climbed 5.2%, surpassing estimates, while load factor hit 110%. Onboard spend and pre-cruise purchases exceeded prior years, supported by a millennial and Gen Z demographic representing half of RCL’s guest base. Given the drivers, management now forecasts full-year EPS (earnings per share) growth of 31% year over year to a range of $15.41-$15.55, positioning RCL well ahead of its Perfecta pace.
Strategic investments are central to sustaining this growth arc. The launch of Star of the Seas and Celebrity Xcel is bolstering pricing power, while the debut of Royal Beach Club Paradise Island later this year underscores RCL’s destination-led strategy. The company is also expanding into new categories with river cruising and leveraging AI-powered personalization through its mobile platform, where nearly 50% of onboard purchases are now booked. These initiatives are deepening customer engagement and lifting loyalty-member bookings, which now account for nearly 40% of reservations.
Financially, RCL is translating demand into stronger fundamentals. Adjusted EBITDA margins reached 41% in the second quarter, up 300 basis points year over year, and operating cash flow came in at $1.7 billion. Liquidity as of second-quarter 2025 stands at $7.1 billion, with leverage on track to fall to the mid-2x range by year-end. With strong earnings growth, new ships and destinations coming online, and balance sheet strength improving, RCL remains confident in its ability to achieve its Perfecta milestones and drive long-term shareholder value.
RCL’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Shares of Royal Caribbean have rallied 36.3% in the past three months compared with the industry’s growth of 14.9%. In the same time frame, other industry players like Carnival Corporation & plc CCL, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. NCLH and OneSpaWorld Holdings Limited OSW have gained 30.5%, 33.9% and 17.5%, respectively.
RCLThree-Month Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Royal Caribbean stock is currently trading at a discount. The company is currently trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 18.72X, below the industry average of 18.98X. Conversely, industry players, such as Carnival, Norwegian Cruise and OneSpaWorld have P/E multiples of 13.3X, 10.08X and 19.91X, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Royal Caribbean’s 2025 EPS has been revised upward, increasing from $15.42 to $15.60 over the past 60 days. This upward trend indicates strong analyst confidence in the stock’s near-term prospects.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The company is likely to report solid earnings, with projections indicating a 32.2% rise in 2025. Conversely, industry players like Carnival, Norwegian Cruise and OneSpaWorld are likely to witness a rise of 40.9%, 12.1% and 18.8% respectively, year over year in 2025 earnings.
RCL stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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How Realistic Are RCL's Perfecta Targets Given 2025 EPS Growth of 31%?

In the latest trading session, Carnival (CCL) closed at $29.26, marking a -1.05% move from the previous day. This change lagged the S&P 500's 0.24% loss on the day. On the other hand, the Dow registered a gain of 0.04%, and the technology-centric Nasdaq decreased by 0.67%.
The cruise operator's stock has dropped by 1.07% in the past month, falling short of the Consumer Discretionary sector's loss of 0.3% and the S&P 500's gain of 1.95%.
The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of Carnival in its upcoming release. In that report, analysts expect Carnival to post earnings of $1.31 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 3.15%. At the same time, our most recent consensus estimate is projecting a revenue of $8.05 billion, reflecting a 1.99% rise from the equivalent quarter last year.
Regarding the entire year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates forecast earnings of $2 per share and revenue of $26.49 billion, indicating changes of +40.85% and +5.86%, respectively, compared to the previous year.
Investors should also pay attention to any latest changes in analyst estimates for Carnival. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the business operations and its ability to generate profits.
Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, running from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), holds an admirable track record of superior performance, independently audited, with #1 stocks contributing an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.56% higher. Currently, Carnival is carrying a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
Valuation is also important, so investors should note that Carnival has a Forward P/E ratio of 14.78 right now. This signifies a discount in comparison to the average Forward P/E of 21.16 for its industry.
It's also important to note that CCL currently trades at a PEG ratio of 0.66. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. The Leisure and Recreation Services industry currently had an average PEG ratio of 1.1 as of yesterday's close.
The Leisure and Recreation Services industry is part of the Consumer Discretionary sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 184, this industry ranks in the bottom 26% of all industries, numbering over 250.
The Zacks Industry Rank evaluates the power of our distinct industry groups by determining the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks forming the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Remember to apply Zacks.com to follow these and more stock-moving metrics during the upcoming trading sessions.
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Carnival (CCL) Dips More Than Broader Market: What You Should Know

Key Points
Carnival and Viking are both leaders in the cruise industry but have different niches.
Viking just had its IPO in June and has been on a tear ever since.
Carnival has a higher debt load but a much lower valuation.
The cruise industry is an interesting one from a stock market perspective. During the pandemic, these companies had to take on a huge amount of debt and sell equity, diluting their shareholders, to raise cash and ride out COVID-19.
But in the post-pandemic world, the cruise industry has been incredibly strong, initially due to "revenge" travel and the need for experiences. But even after inflation and interest rates spiked in 2022, the cruise industry held up very well, showing perhaps a longer-term growth trend. Cruising is also a more efficient form of travel than staying in hotels, which have gotten more expensive.
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Despite the strong recent results, these companies are still digging themselves out of their debt holes, which could lead to further upside as they pay down debt and de-lever their balance sheets.
Two leaders in the space are Carnival (NYSE: CCL), the oldest publicly traded cruise stock, having been on the stock market since 1987, and Viking Holdings (NYSE: VIK), the newest public cruise stock, having just had its initial public offering (IPO) in June.
Which is the better buy today for those looking to play the continued recovery of cruise stocks? The experienced veteran or new kid on the block?
Both companies are hitting it out of the park
There appears to be great strength across the cruise industry, with both companies posting terrific recent numbers. Off of a very strong 2024, Carnival grew revenue 9.5% last quarter, but with a massive inflection in profitability as adjusted (non-GAAP) earnings per share more than tripled.
Not only that, Carnival CEO Josh Weinstein noted that Carnival had already achieved its 2026 SEA Change operational and financial targets it had set for itself two years ago, 18 months ahead of schedule. Those targets included operational goals around sustainability, the important profit-centered metrics of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) per available lower berth day (ALBD), and return on invested capital (ROIC).
As of the second quarter of 2025, EBITDA per ALBD had grown 52%, and ROIC had more than doubled to 12.5% over just the past two years. That's really impressive, owing to Carnival's pricing actions, capacity restraint, and a focus on costs.
But Carnival isn't the only cruise company reporting impressive results. In its first quarter, Viking impressed investors with revenue growth of 24.9% on the back of a 7.1% increase in net yields and a 14.9% increase in capacity. Net yields are essentially the direct profits per customer, equaling net revenues per available passenger cruise day minus the costs of travel commissions, transportation, and onboard costs.
Viking's management also forecasted good times ahead, noting that it was basically sold out for 2025, and 37% of capacity was already booked for 2026 -- ahead of where the company was with forward bookings at this point last year.
But Viking's debt picture looks much better than Carnival's
So, both companies appear to be on a good path operationally. But for the foreseeable future, these companies will be devoting most or all of their profits to paying down their COVID-era debt.
On that front, Viking appears to be in a much better position. Today, its debt sits at 2.0 times its trailing EBITDA as of March 31, while Carnival's debt-to-EBITDA ratio sat at a higher 3.7 times as of May 31.
It's not entirely clear why Viking came out of the pandemic with a lower debt load than Carnival. It could be that since Viking was a private company before 2020, it hadn't taken on the leverage to repurchase stock as aggressively as Carnival had done as a public company in the years leading up to the pandemic.
It could also have something to do with each company's business model. Carnival is largely in the business of ocean cruises all over the world across a number of brands. Viking is largely engaged in river cruises, mostly in Europe, and focuses on older cruise enthusiasts, who tend to be less economically sensitive. Viking also has ocean cruises, but those ships totaled only about 12% of its capacity last quarter.
But Viking's valuation has already taken off
On the back of strong results, both stocks have done well in recent months. However, Viking has done extraordinarily well, with the stock having appreciated 150% from its June $24 IPO price to $60 as of this writing. Carnival has also had a strong recent run, with the stock up nearly 23% on the year.
Still, Viking's run has caused its valuation to soar much higher than Carnival's, with a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio and forward enterprise value-to-EBITDA (EV-to-EBITDA) ratio of 24.5 and 16.9, respectively. Meanwhile, Carnival is much cheaper, trading at a forward P/E ratio of 15.3. And while Carnival does sport a higher debt load, even its forward EV-to-EBITDA ratio, which accounts for debt, is much lower, at 8.8 times this year's EBITDA estimates.
Getting what you pay for
As it stands now, it appears that investors are paying fairly for what they're getting. Viking's less-risky business model and lower debt load have led to a much higher valuation. And since it's in a better balance sheet position, it's also able to expand capacity faster than Carnival, as evidenced by last quarter's growth rates.
Meanwhile, Carnival looks cheaper on all metrics, significantly so, but it also has a debt load nearly twice that of Viking's relative to each company's EBITDA. And because it has to pay down its debt, management isn't expanding capacity as fast as it probably would otherwise.
Thus, each stock could still be a buy if you believe in the continued strength of the cruise industry. Viking may be the better play for growth-oriented investors, with its near-25% growth rate and relatively lower risk. But for value investors, Carnival may be the better play here, as its lower valuation could get a rerating as the company continues to pay down its sizable COVID-era debt load, which would de-risk its story.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Best Stock to Buy Right Now: Carnival Corporation vs. Viking Holdings

In the latest trading session, Carnival (CCL) closed at $30.25, marking a -1.27% move from the previous day. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.03%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a drop of 0.03%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw a decrease of 0.01%.
The cruise operator's shares have seen an increase of 5.51% over the last month, surpassing the Consumer Discretionary sector's gain of 0.32% and the S&P 500's gain of 3.46%.
The upcoming earnings release of Carnival will be of great interest to investors. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $1.31, reflecting a 3.15% increase from the same quarter last year. In the meantime, our current consensus estimate forecasts the revenue to be $8.05 billion, indicating a 1.99% growth compared to the corresponding quarter of the prior year.
Regarding the entire year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates forecast earnings of $2 per share and revenue of $26.49 billion, indicating changes of +40.85% and +5.87%, respectively, compared to the previous year.
Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for Carnival. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the business and profitability.
Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, spanning from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), boasts an impressive track record of outperformance, audited externally, with #1 ranked stocks yielding an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, there's been a 0.56% rise in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. Carnival is holding a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy) right now.
Looking at its valuation, Carnival is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 15.31. This valuation marks a discount compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 22.02.
One should further note that CCL currently holds a PEG ratio of 0.69. Comparable to the widely accepted P/E ratio, the PEG ratio also accounts for the company's projected earnings growth. By the end of yesterday's trading, the Leisure and Recreation Services industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.13.
The Leisure and Recreation Services industry is part of the Consumer Discretionary sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 196, this industry ranks in the bottom 21% of all industries, numbering over 250.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Keep in mind to rely on Zacks.com to watch all these stock-impacting metrics, and more, in the succeeding trading sessions.
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Carnival (CCL) Stock Dips While Market Gains: Key Facts

Carnival Corporation CCL is gearing up for a competitive environment, with major players like Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. RCL and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings NCLH continuing to add capacity and enhance offerings. CCL is also advancing its fleet strategy, aiming to reinforce market position through targeted newbuilds and upgrades.
During the second quarter of 2025, the company highlighted several vessel additions and refurbishments designed to drive demand and support pricing. AIDAdiva returned to service after the first phase of the AIDA Evolution upgrade, delivering strong guest feedback and increased onboard spending. The program will extend to six more vessels over the next few years. Two newbuilds for AIDA, scheduled for delivery in fiscal 2030 and 2032, will further strengthen the brand’s presence in Germany.
Carnival Cruise Line is preparing for the 2027 and 2028 arrivals of Carnival Festivale and Carnival Tropicale, both Excel-class ships featuring Sunsation Point, a family-focused water park spanning three decks. These ships will have 70% more interconnecting rooms than earlier Excel vessels.
The company will also welcome Star Princess later this year, building on the successful Sun Princess platform. With only three ships on order over the next four years, CCL maintains moderate capacity growth, allowing room for debt reduction while still enhancing its guest experience.
By combining selective fleet expansion with brand-specific upgrades, Carnival aims to strengthen its competitive edge and capture share in a market where rivals are also ramping up capacity.
Competitive Positioning in the Cruise Industry
Royal Caribbean is expanding its fleet through a steady pipeline of new ships to strengthen demand and pricing. In the second quarter of 2025, Royal Caribbean increased capacity by 6% year over year, with gains driven by new vessels and enhancements to the existing fleet. Net yield growth of 5.2% was evenly split between new hardware and current ships. The upcoming delivery of Star of the Seas in August and the launch of Celebrity Xcel in November are expected to lift fourth-quarter capacity by 10% year over year. Looking ahead, the company plans to add seven ships through 2028, including Legend of the Seas, Icon 4 and Celebrity River, supporting premium yields and global reach.
Norwegian Cruise is pursuing steady fleet growth with a pipeline that supports approximately 29.7% gross capacity expansion by 2028, indicating a CAGR of about 4% from 2023. In the second quarter of 2025, Norwegian Cruise expanded its fleet with the delivery of Oceania Cruises’ Allura, the brand’s eighth ship and second in the Allura Class. Norwegian Cruise also confirmed orders for two additional Sonata Class ships, bringing total orders to 13 vessels across three brands, reinforcing its long-term growth strategy.
CCL’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates
Shares of Carnival have gained 33.2% in the past three months compared with the industry’s growth of 8.9%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, CCL trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 13.96X, significantly below the industry’s average of 18.91X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CCL’s fiscal 2025 and 2026 earnings implies a year-over-year uptick of 40.9% and 13.8%, respectively. The EPS estimates for fiscal 2025 have increased in the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
CCL currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
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Will Carnival's New Ship Additions Boost Its Competitive Position?

It doesn't matter if you're a growth, value, income, or momentum-focused investor -- building a successful investment portfolio takes skill, research, and a little bit of luck.
But how do you find the right combination of stocks? Funding your retirement, your kids' college tuition, or your short- and long-term savings goals certainly requires significant returns.
Enter the Zacks Rank.
What is the Zacks Rank?
The Zacks Rank is a unique, proprietary stock-rating model that utilizes earnings estimate revisions to help investors build a winning portfolio.
There are four main factors behind the Zacks Rank: Agreement, Magnitude, Upside, and Surprise.
Agreement is the extent to which all brokerage analysts are revising their earnings estimates in the same direction. The greater the percentage of analysts revising their estimates higher, the better chance the stock will outperform.
Magnitude is the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate for the current and next fiscal years.
Upside is the difference between the most accurate estimate, which is calculated by Zacks, and the consensus estimate.
Surprise is made up of a company's last few quarters' earnings per share surprises; companies with a positive earnings surprise are more likely to beat expectations in the future.
Each one of these factors is given a raw score that's recalculated every night, and then compiled into the Zacks Rank. Using this data, stocks are classified into five groups, ranging from "Strong Buy" to "Strong Sell."
The Power of Institutional Investors
The Zacks Rank also allows individual investors, or retail investors, to benefit from the power of institutional investors.
Institutional investors are the professionals who manage the trillions of dollars invested in mutual funds, investment banks, and hedge funds. Studies have shown that these investors can and do move the market due to the large amounts of money they invest with. Because of this, the market tends to move in the same direction as institutional investors.
In order to figure out the fair value of a company and its shares, these investors will build valuation models focused on earnings and earnings expectations. Because if you raise estimates for the bottom line, it creates a higher fair value for a company.
Institutional investors then act on these changes in earnings estimates, typically buying stocks with rising estimates and selling those with falling estimates; an increase in earnings estimates can translate into higher stock prices and bigger gains for the investor.
Retail investors who get in at the first sign of upward revisions have a distinct advantage over larger investors since it can often take weeks, if not months, for an institutional investor to build a position. They'll also benefit from the expected institutional buying that could follow.
Not only can the Zacks Rank help you take advantage of trends in earnings estimate revisions, but it can also provide a way to get into stocks that are highly sought after by professionals.
How to Invest with the Zacks Rank
The Zacks Rank is known for transforming investment portfolios. In fact, a portfolio of Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks has beaten the market in 26 of the last 32 years, with an average annual return of +25.41%.
Moreover, stocks with a new #1 (Strong Buy) ranking have some of the biggest profit potential, while those that fell to a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) have some of the worst.
Let's take a look at Skechers (SKX), which was added to the Zacks Rank #1 list on May 1, 2024.
Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Manhattan Beach, California, Skechers U.S.A., Inc. designs, develops, markets, and distributes footwear for men, women, and children in the United States and overseas under the SKECHERS name, as well as under several uniquely branded names.
Seven analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2024, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.24 to $4.06 per share. SKX also boasts an average earnings surprise of 34.1%.
Analysts are expecting earnings to grow 16.3% for the current fiscal year, with revenue forecasted to rise 10.5%.
Even more impressive, SKX has gained in value over the past four weeks, up 4.4% compared to the S&P 500's gain of 3.5%.
Bottom Line
With a #1 (Strong Buy) ranking, positive trend in earnings estimate revisions, and strong market momentum, Skechers should be on investors' shortlist.
If you want even more information on the Zacks Ranks, or one of our many other investing strategies, check out the Zacks Education home page.
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The Zacks Rank Explained: How to Find Strong Buy Consumer Discretionary Stocks

The NASDAQ 100 Pre-Market Indicator is down -107.5 to 23,741.54. The total Pre-Market volume is currently 83,910,630 shares traded.
The following are the most active stocks for the pre-market session:
Direxion Daily TSLA Bull 2X Shares (TSLL) is +0.14 at $13.00, with 5,983,492 shares traded. This represents a 106.68% increase from its 52 Week Low.
Pfizer, Inc. (PFE) is +0.0197 at $25.18, with 3,134,402 shares traded. PFE's current last sale is 89.93% of the target price of $28.
Opendoor Technologies Inc (OPEN) is +0.0303 at $2.45, with 3,118,436 shares traded. OPEN's current last sale is 257.93% of the target price of $0.95.
Apple Inc. (AAPL) is +0.57 at $233.90, with 3,074,343 shares traded. Over the last four weeks they have had 4 up revisions for the earnings forecast, for the fiscal quarter ending Sep 2025. The consensus EPS forecast is $1.73. AAPL's current last sale is 97.46% of the target price of $240.
Bullish (BLSH) is +7.53 at $75.53, with 2,613,867 shares traded.
iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) is -0.9903 at $68.85, with 2,571,452 shares traded., following a 52-week high recorded in prior regular session.
JD.com, Inc. (JD) is +0.52 at $33.03, with 2,291,304 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for JD is in the "buy range".
iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) is -0.18 at $35.72, with 2,266,563 shares traded., following a 52-week high recorded in prior regular session.
Carnival Corporation (CCL) is -0.0591 at $30.58, with 1,577,466 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for CCL is in the "buy range".
Chevron Corporation (CVX) is -0.35 at $155.52, with 1,362,892 shares traded. Over the last four weeks they have had 3 up revisions for the earnings forecast, for the fiscal quarter ending Sep 2025. The consensus EPS forecast is $2.04. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for CVX is in the "buy range".
BigBear.ai, Inc. (BBAI) is -0.09 at $5.72, with 902,831 shares traded. BBAI's current last sale is 114.4% of the target price of $5.
NIO Inc. (NIO) is -0.06 at $4.56, with 746,749 shares traded. NIO's current last sale is 112.59% of the target price of $4.05.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Pre-Market Most Active for Aug 14, 2025 : TSLL, PFE, OPEN, AAPL, BLSH, IBIT, JD, ETHA, CCL, CVX, BBAI, NIO

U.S. stocks have been on a rally for the past few days. A batch of impressive economic data has raised optimism among investors who have set aside tariff concerns and are looking forward to the Federal Reserve’s next move with interest rate cuts.
Expectations of a rate cut by the Fed in September rose on Tuesday after fresh data showed that inflation increased at a slower pace than expected. Given the optimism surrounding rate cuts, investing in consumer discretionary stocks would be a wise decision.
Five such stocks are: The Walt Disney Company DIS, Carnival Corporation & plc CCL, Hasbro, Inc. HAS, Netflix, Inc. NFLX and Ralph Lauren Corporation RL. These stocks currently have a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy) each and assure good returns.
Inflation Report Raises Rate Cut Hopes
Investors were expecting inflation to accelerate in July as a result of President Donald Trump’s hefty tariffs. Inflation did rise, but at a pace slower than expected. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said the consumer price index increased 0.2% month over month in July, which came in lower than the consensus estimate of a rise of 0.3%. CPI rose 0.3% in May.
Year over year, CPI rose 2.7% in July, which also came in lower than the consensus estimate of a rise of 2.8%. Core CPI, which excludes the volatile food and energy prices, rose 0.3% in July, which came in line with the consensus estimate. Year over year, core CPI rose 3.1%, marginally higher than analysts’ expectations of an increase of 3%.
Investors were worried that a spike in prices of goods following Trump’s tariffs would raise inflation substantially, which could weigh on the economy. This had also been a concern for the Federal Reserve, which adopted a cautious stance and left the interest rates unchanged in its July policy meeting.
However, despite a rise in the cost of goods, inflation increased at a slower pace than expected, sending stocks on a rally. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq ended Wednesday on a record all-time closing high for the second straight day.
Expectations are now that the Federal Reserve will finally go ahead with a rate cut in September. Market participants are now pricing in a 95.9% chance of a 25-basis point rate cut in September, according to the CME’s FedWatch Tool. This was 85% before the release of the CPI report. Lower borrowing costs bode well for the broader economy.
5 Discretionary Stocks With Upside
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company has assets that span movies, television shows and theme parks. Revenues were $91.4 billion in fiscal 2024. DIS’ fourth-quarter fiscal 2024 results reflect growth in Disney+ subscribers and Media and Entertainment Distribution businesses. Domestic theme park and resort businesses gained due to guest spending growth attributable to increases in per capita guest spending at theme parks and cruise lines.
The Walt Disney Company’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 17.7%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings improved 1.4% over the last 60 days. DIS presently has a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc operates as a cruise and vacation company. As a single economic entity, CCL forms the largest cruise operator in the world. Carnival Corporation & plcis the world’s leading leisure travel firm and carries nearly half of the global cruise guests.
Carnival Corporation’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 40.9%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings improved 7% over the last 60 days. Carnival Corporation currently carries a Zacks Rank #1.
Hasbro, Inc.
Hasbro, Inc. is engaged in the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys. HAS offers traditional, high-tech and digital toys, games and licensed products under various well-known brands.
Hasbro’sexpected earnings growth rate for the current year is 19.5%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 13.5% over the past 60 days. HAS presently sports a Zacks Rank #1.
Netflix, Inc.
Netflix, Inc. is considered a pioneer in the streaming space. NFLX has been spending aggressively on building its portfolio of original shows. This is helping Netflix sustain its leading position despite the launch of new services like Disney+ and Apple TV+, as well as existing services like Amazon Prime Video.
Netflix’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 31.4%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current-year earnings has improved 2.9% over the past 60 days. Netflix currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.
Ralph Lauren Corporation
Ralph Lauren Corporation is a major designer, marketer and distributor of premium lifestyle products in North America, Europe, Asia and internationally. RL offers products in apparel, footwear, accessories, home furnishings, and other licensed product categories.
Ralph Lauren’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 19.8%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current-year earnings has improved 8% over the past 60 days. RL currently carries a Zacks Rank #1.
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5 Discretionary Stocks to Boost Your Portfolio on Rising Rate Cut Hopes

Lucky Strike Entertainment (LUCK), currently a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), operates a network of location-based entertainment venues focused on bowling.
The stock has traded sideways for the last few years and is off its recent lows after earnings. However, there seems to be no upside momentum after a recent earnings miss and falling estimates.
About the Company
Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Mechanicsville, Virginia, the company was formerly known as Bowlero Corp. before rebranding to Lucky Strike Entertainment in December 2024.
Its portfolio includes well-known brands such as AMF, Bowlero, Lucky Strike, Boomers, and the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA). The company’s properties feature bowling, arcade-style amusements, water parks, and family entertainment centers. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Mechanicsville, Virginia, the company was formerly known as Bowlero Corp. before rebranding to Lucky Strike Entertainment in December 2024.
The company has a market cap of $1.4B and the stock pays a dividend of 2.2%. The stock holds Zacks Style Scores of “B” Value and “C” in both Growth and Momentum.
Q3 Earnings Miss
Lucky Strike’s latest results landed well below expectations, missing the Zacks consensus EPS estimate by 69% and reflecting broad-based weakness in the business.
Q3 net income fell to $13.3 million from $23.8 million a year ago, while revenue declined to $339.9 million from $358 million expected. Adjusted EBITDA also slipped year over year, and same-store revenue fell 5.6%.
The company withdrew its full-year guidance, citing economic uncertainty. Management called out softness in the corporate events segment as a major drag, even as retail, leagues, and food sales showed some resilience.
With same-store sales slipping, corporate bookings under pressure, and management is leaning into cost discipline rather than growth. Even so, Lucky Strike faces a tough road to winning back momentum, especially if macro headwinds persist.
Earnings Estimates Trend Lower
Earnings estimates have shown limited movement since management suspended guidance, but the bias remains negative.
For the next quarter, the consensus loss estimate has inched lower to -$0.16 from -$0.15 over the past 90 days. Expectations for next year have taken a sharper hit, dropping 66% to just $0.01 from $0.03.
While projections for the current year have ticked slightly higher, the overall trend points to caution. Many investors may stay on the sidelines until there is a clearer, sustained turnaround in the outlook.
Technical Take
Not much to read from the chart outside that the stock is going from the upper left to the lower right. This is not the direction the bulls want and to change momentum they will have to sustain price over the 200-day MA at $10.20.
An attempt was made in late July, but the stock failed to hold the gains.
In Summary
With guidance pulled, earnings estimates drifting lower, and the chart stuck in a long-term downtrend, Lucky Strike Entertainment is struggling to spark investor enthusiasm.
Operational challenges in key markets and a lack of upside momentum after the latest earnings miss point to continued headwinds. Until the company can deliver consistent growth in both results and expectations, LUCK may remain a tough bet for bullish investors.
For now, investors looking at the leisure space should look at Carnival (CCL). The stock is a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) that is trading near 2025 highs.
7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days
Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."
Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.5% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention.
See them now >>
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Bear of the Day: Lucky Strike Entertainment (LUCK)

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. RCL is expanding capacity through a steady pipeline of new ships, aiming to strengthen demand in 2025. The company’s strategy centers on moderate capacity growth, with each addition designed to drive pricing power, attract new guests and support yield expansion.
In the second quarter of 2025, the company’s capacity increased 6% year over year, supported by new ships alongside improvements across the existing fleet. Net yield growth of 5.2% was evenly split between new hardware and the current portfolio. The company noted that the new ships are generating strong pricing and load factors, reinforcing the demand impact of fleet additions.
The delivery of Star of the Seas in late August and the launch of Celebrity Xcel in November are expected to boost fourth-quarter capacity by 10% year over year. These ships join recent entrants in the short-cruise market, such as Utopia of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas, which are driving repeat bookings and attracting younger demographics.
Looking beyond 2025, Royal Caribbean plans to introduce seven new ships over the next few years, including Legend of the Seas in 2026, Icon 4 and Celebrity River in 2027, and Oasis 7 and Edge 6 in 2028. This measured rollout is designed to enhance global reach and diversify offerings, with each addition positioned to deliver premium yields.
The company emphasized that fleet growth is part of a broader demand strategy, supported by exclusive destinations, digital engagement and loyalty programs. With record bookings and strong demand across itineraries, the company’s expanding fleet is expected to remain a central driver of its 2025 growth momentum.
Competitive Positioning in the Cruise Industry
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. NCLH is pursuing steady fleet growth with a pipeline that supports approximately 29.7% gross capacity expansion by 2028, reflecting a CAGR of about 4% from 2023. In the second quarter of 2025, Norwegian Cruise expanded its fleet with the delivery of Oceania Cruises’ Allura, the brand’s eighth ship and second in the Allura Class. Norwegian Cruise also confirmed orders for two additional Sonata Class ships, bringing total orders to 13 vessels across three brands, reinforcing its long-term growth strategy.
Carnival Corporation & plc CCL is advancing its fleet strategy through a mix of newbuilds and refurbishments aimed at enhancing guest experiences and driving demand. It has ordered two new AIDA ships for delivery in 2030 and 2032. It is preparing to debut Carnival Festivale and Carnival Tropicale in 2027 and 2028, respectively. The upcoming launch of Star Princess, sister ship to Sun Princess, further underscores Carnival’s focus on modern, guest-centric ships to support long-term growth.
RCL’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Shares of Royal Caribbean have gained 28.2% in the past three months compared with the industry’s growth of 6.7%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Royal Caribbean trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 4.47x, significantly up from the industry’s average of 2.33x.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for RCL’s 2025 and 2026 earnings implies a year-over-year uptick of 32.2% and 17.7%, respectively. The EPS estimates for 2025 have increased in the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
RCL currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.