Top news and what to watch in the markets on Friday, May 22, 2020.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. said Wednesday it will extend the suspension of cruises to include those embarking in July, in an effort to control the spread of COVID-19. The suspensions are for the company's three cruise brands, which include Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. The stock rose 3.0% in premarket trading. It has plunged 78.7% year to date through Tuesday, while the S&P 500 has lost 9.5%.
Stock market news live updates: Stocks recover losses and rise after weak economic data Yahoo Canada Finance
To no one's surprise, cruise liners like Carnival (NYSE:CCL, NYSE:CUK), Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) and Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) have been especially hurt by the novel coronavirus. At this point, they're all interchangeable. However, Carnival is notable for its now notorious Diamond Princess ship, which became the face of the all-too-familiar quarantining protocol. As a result, CCL stock finds itself down more than 72% year-to-date.Source: Ruth Peterkin / Shutterstock.com However, that kind of loss inevitably invites speculators and those who are rookies to the markets. Sure, CCL stock looks like it's on a discount. While the environment looks awful today, we recognize the need for vacations - especially from such stresses as shelter-in-place orders. Therefore, many are reasoning that Carnival and the broader cruise ship industry will make a recovery.Giving fuel to this narrative is that Carnival announced earlier this month that it plans to resume service on Aug. 1. This is a week after the end of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's no-sail order for the industry. Since early April, CCL stock has been steadily creeping higher as positive sentiment trickles in.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsOf course, the CDC isn't happy about Carnival's intent. The agency is on record stating that traveling aboard cruise liners "exacerbates the global spread of Covid-19." But they might not need to be so vocal. It's the people who decide with their wallet what they want to do and it's not clear they'll return to the open waters. * 7 Excellent Penny Stocks Ready to Roar Recently, the Washington Post noted that 58% of American adults are concerned about going back to work, fearful that they might inadvertently infect their households. Imagine the sentiment for a non-essential function like going on a cruise? Economic Realities Work Against CCL StockFor those that think this industry offers untapped recovery potential, I would reconsider the thesis. Unlike other disasters that we've faced in this country, this is a crisis that has impacted in some significant way every American. Indeed, much of the world has suffered acutely from the pandemic.Therefore, I don't believe in the quick recovery narrative that you would find associated with, for instance, tragic accidents. That airplanes crash or that boats sink is an accepted risk that consumers take, particularly because these incidents are rare.But now, consumers have tuned into a new risk, that of an infectious disease spreading aboard. Actually, the risk isn't new but the concept of governments taking extreme quarantining measures is. That's not something that consumers will easily get over, which clouds the bull case for CCL stock.Beyond that, I also have concerns whether would-be travelers are able to go cruising. Much talk has been made of the latest jobless claims report, where 2.4 million have filed for unemployment benefits. Over a nine-week period, nearly 39 million Americans filed for aid. Click to EnlargeSource: Chart by Josh Enomoto Several media pundits have pointed out a silver lining in the otherwise stark data. Since jobless claims hit a peak around late March/early April, the number of people making claims has declined significantly. However, I don't see that as good news.When the crisis first became serious, virtually all non-essential services (i.e. restaurants, sporting events, movie theaters, etc.) shut down. That left millions of service industry workers out of a job, explaining the massive spike in claims.Now, as states reopen, we should see these early impacted workers get their jobs back. Logically, this suggests that the recent jobless claims are coming from higher-paid occupations. These are the type of folks that would go cruising. Black Eye on the Industry Won't Be IgnoredIf the discussion above wasn't enough to dissuade you from CCL stock, here are two interesting nuggets that I discovered: * Millennials love ESG stocks, or stocks of companies that rank highly for environmental, social and corporate governance principles. So much so that this group has outperformed during this crisis relative to non-ESG names. * Millennials love CCL stock, especially at these deflated prices. That's according to Robinhood, whose investing app is very popular among the younger demographic.This is a glaring contradiction. As of May 14, the U.S. Coast Guard that almost 60,000 cruise liner crew members are stuck at sea in U.S. waters. Of course, this includes many from Carnival's payroll.To be fair, Carnival plants to repatriate tens of thousands of their crew members throughout the world through various means. As well, bureaucratic roadblocks have utterly failed those who have been stranded. It's not accurate to heap all the blame on the cruise ship operators.Nevertheless, it's an ugly black eye for the industry because the buck has to stop somewhere. And terrible tragedies of desperation have occurred among those forcibly quarantined.Therefore, I expect that this news will filter down to the millennials who love CCL stock so much. It's too much of a paradox to see travelers enjoying their vacation while thousands have been sentenced to glitzy, floating prisons.A former senior business analyst for Sony Electronics, Josh Enomoto has helped broker major contracts with Fortune Global 500 companies. Over the past several years, he has delivered unique, critical insights for the investment markets, as well as various other industries including legal, construction management, and healthcare. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * Top Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * America's Richest ZIP Code Holds Shocking Secret * 1 Under-the-Radar 5G Stock to Buy Now * The 1 Stock All Retirees Must Own The post Carnival Is Hitting All the Branches of the Ugly Tree appeared first on InvestorPlace.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NASDAQ: NCLH) shares are trading higher on Thursday. Credit Suisse initiated coverage on the company's stock with an Outperform rating and announced a $21 price target.The shares of several cruise companies are also trading higher, potentially amid cautious optimism towards a rebound in travel demand.Norwegian Cruise Line is the world's third-largest cruise company by berths, operating 28 ships across three brands (Norwegian, Oceania, and Regent Seven Seas), offering both freestyle and luxury cruising.Norwegian Cruise Line shares were trading up 7.11% at $13.71 on Thursday. The stock has a 52-week high of $59.78 and a 52-week low of $7.03.Related Links:Here's How Long Carnival, Norwegian And Royal Caribbean Can Last Without RevenueCarnival Shares Plunge Further As Cruise Line Guides To 2020 Loss, Announces Common Stock OfferingLatest Ratings for NCLH DateFirmActionFromTo May 2020Credit SuisseInitiates Coverage OnOutperform May 2020SunTrust Robinson HumphreyMaintainsBuy May 2020Deutsche BankMaintainsHold View More Analyst Ratings for NCLH View the Latest Analyst RatingsSee more from Benzinga * Norwegian Cruise Line Shares Fall On Mixed Q1 Report, CEO Says 'We Have Taken Decisive Action' * Every Member Of Trump's 'Great American Economic Revival' Industry Groups(C) 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
(Bloomberg) -- As the Federal Reserve pulls out all the stops to bolster credit markets, corporate America is gorging on debt.From Carnival Corp., Marriott International Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc. to Gap Inc. and Avis Budget Group Inc., many of the companies hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak have priced billions of dollars of bonds and loans in recent weeks.Never mind that profits have been wiped out, and that their business operations aren’t viable right now or likely anytime soon. As long as they’re propped up by the Fed, investors are willing to lend.Yet as expectations of a V-shaped economic recovery vanish rapidly, more and more industry veterans are starting to express concern about these debt dynamics. Some warn that the Fed is putting credit markets on course for a future wave of defaults that makes the current stretch of corporate bankruptcies look timid by comparison.Others see an outcome even more dire.In this scenario, they say, moribund companies in industries deeply scarred by the pandemic will just keep borrowing. Market watchers such as Deutsche Bank AG chief economist Torsten Slok fear that a new breed of so-called zombie companies -- firms that don’t earn enough to cover interest payments and are kept alive in part by central bank largess -- could have profound and painful consequences for everyone from workers to investors for years to come.“The Fed and the government are interfering in the process of creative destruction,” Slok said in an interview. “The consequence is that we are at risk the longer this persists –- companies being kept alive that would otherwise have gone out of business -- that it will begin to weigh on the overall potential for growth of the economy and on productivity.”It’s not that these risks mean the Fed’s current policy tack is misguided. Given the scope of the economic collapse and the unprecedented spike in unemployment that has accompanied it, most analysts say policy makers had to throw everything they could at the problem. It’s just that such dramatic intervention comes with great risks that will have to be addressed down the road.“The Fed had no other choice than to do what it did,” Slok said.Still, it’s precisely this dramatic intervention that’s emboldening money managers to take greater chances and seek fatter returns.“You can’t say ‘we’ll do whatever it takes’ and not do it,” said Jack McIntyre, who helps oversee about $60 billion at Philadelphia-based Brandywine Global Investment Management. “Otherwise, the Fed will lose credibility.”McIntyre said he’s buying select investment-grade corporate bonds in lieu of Treasuries “because the Fed has backstopped the market -- if spreads widen, the Fed will step in.”That’s just the sort of sentiment that can ultimately lead to the proliferation of zombies, economists say.Fed BackstopThe actual definition of what makes a company a zombie varies depending on who you ask, but most agree that it’s generally meant to encompass firms that can’t cover their debt servicing costs from current profits over a select period.A snapshot of the market reveals no shortage of companies that would fit that description should the economic rebound take time to gain momentum.Earnings for companies, excluding financials, in the S&P 500 are forecast to drop a staggering 42% in the second quarter from the previous year as the full effect of global lockdowns are felt, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg.At the same time, net corporate debt issuance has ballooned, and could approach as much as $1 trillion this year, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.Delta and Marriott declined to comment, while Avis didn’t respond to requests seeking comment.Carnival referred Bloomberg to a press release highlighting the strength of its balance sheet and continued customer bookings for the second half of the year and 2021.A representative for Gap directed Bloomberg to a statement noting its financing and cash preservation efforts, adding that the company plans to have 800 stores open by the end of May.If the pace of the recovery is quick enough, corporate-bond buyers say plenty of hard-hit companies should be able to turn things around.But the question on the minds of investors and economists alike is: how long will the Fed be willing to support firms via its pledge to buy corporate debt if the recovery is slower to develop than expected?“The government has done more than I could have imagined to allow businesses to access capital, and if the markets shut down again the government will do even more,” said Bill Zox, chief investment officer of fixed income at Diamond Hill Capital Management, which manages around $19.5 billion.Borrowing BingeIt’s an especially salient question when it comes to the sectors hardest hit by the Covid-19 outbreak.Cruise lines have borrowed more than $8 billion via the bond market in recent weeks, selling notes secured by everything from ships to islands. Airlines, for their part, have gotten more than $14 billion in new financing from banks and investors, even as the vast majority of flights remain grounded.“We have entire industries that are going to be protracted long-term if not permanently disrupted because of this,” said Vicki Bryan, a veteran credit analyst who runs Bond Angle LLC. “The cruise industry is ripe for elimination of companies. It should logically renounce the weaker players but that’s not happening because we have dirt-cheap money that we’re willing to throw back into the market from the Fed.”Beyond just lending them money, creditors are also waiving or loosening financial markers on existing debt, allowing companies that have seen revenue dry up stave off potential tumult.Vail Resorts Inc. -- owner of the eponymous winter vacation destination -- was granted a two-year reprieve on key debt covenants last month, paving the way for the company to raise $600 million with a new bond offering. Marriott, one of the world’s largest hotel chains, struck a similar agreement with lenders.A representative for Vail said that the company’s bank covenant waiver provided additional flexibility given the short-term dislocation from Covid-19, and that it remains confident in the long-term outlook for both profit and cash flow.‘Catch-22’Yet amid the waivers, lenders are extracting higher interest rates or other concessions.Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. and Avis all paid double-digit yields to borrow in recent weeks. That could depress their capacity to make capital expenditures and adapt to shifting consumer tastes as the coronavirus changes how people spend money.“Taken together with margin contraction and leverage that was already near record highs, you may end up with a corporate sector that has less capacity to invest in growth,” said Noel Hebert, director of credit research at Bloomberg Intelligence.Norwegian has a “long-standing track record of strong financial performance which includes over a decade of financial growth,” a company spokesperson said in an emailed response to questions. “The cruise industry has been hit the hardest by Covid-19 as our operations have been completely shut down, which certainly impacts us in the short-term but has no bearing on our long-term success.”AMC didn’t respond to requests seeking comment.Read more: Corporate debt loads are growing fast as Fed opens up spigotsSome say as successful as the Fed has been boosting credit-market liquidity, the support is only temporary, and will result in a wave of distress when it steps back.“There will be plenty” of debt defaults and bankruptcies when corporate borrowers start running out of cash in the months ahead, Howard Marks, co-chairman of Oaktree Capital Group, said in a Bloomberg TV interview. “There are large, highly levered companies and investment vehicles that the government and Fed rescue program is not likely to reach and take care of.”Others see central-bank intervention keeping companies alive for much longer, crowding out investment and employment at healthy firms, similar to what occurred in Japan during the nation’s ‘lost decade’ of the 1990s, where the ‘zombie company’ term was first applied.“You are misallocating capital to businesses that are not productive and in some sense taking resources away from companies that have high growth,” Deutsche Bank’s Slok said.The repercussions may only become apparent years from now, according to Marc Zenner, a former co-head of corporate finance advisory at JPMorgan Chase & Co.“It’s hard for me to think that something like that doesn’t have a cost,” Zenner said. “What you’ll see is some of these costs will probably only emerge years later. Are we going to have reduced capacity to act? Is it that other economies will be less burdened and will attract more capital? Is there another crisis that will come because of this misallocation of capital?”For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
A bullish market tide has been lifting most risk assets of late. Yet shares of distressed Royal Caribbean (NYSE:RCL) have been left to drift in bearish technical waters. Now though and following earnings, is it time for investors to finally board RCL stock with an eye on calmer conditions ahead?Source: Laszlo Halasi / Shutterstock.com The novel coronavirus and ensuing Covid-19 pandemic have been challenging to say the least for cruise line operator Royal Caribbean. Not that it's alone. If misery loves company, Carnival (NYSE:CCL) and Norwegian Cruise Lines (NYSE:NCLH) are in the same boat. Still, operations have been remained shuttered since March. What's more, under RCL's current no-sail policy, its cruises aren't set to resume until the end of July and there's always the chance of further delays.Harmful industry publicity, as a handful of cruises were left to self-isolate on the high seas for weeks in March, roiled the shares. Then, difficult to navigate, socially distanced policies cast doubt on most vacationing, let alone on a ship in the middle of the ocean. Consequently, it should come as little surprise that the broader market's dazzling recovery hasn't proven nearly as rewarding for longer-term shareholders of Royal Caribbean.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsDespite the stock enriching a few investors as it more than doubled in price from its absolute low on March 18, RCL remains underwater by nearly 70% year-to-date. Shares are also trading at stock prices first reached more than 20 years ago. Confidence BoostThe good news is Wednesday night's earnings release hints that Royal Caribbean's current stranding isn't likely to turn into a deeper and inescapable sinking.Reaction to RCL's report was good in Thursday's session. That's not to say heavy quarterly losses and dismal-sounding declines in sales weren't announced. They were. But investors are resting easier following some confidence-boosting clarity from management.Shares ended the session firmly higher by about 6.5% after being up more than 10%. A water-logged performance in the broader averages, as well as the weight of a couple market leaders like Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) and Enphase Energy (NASDAQ:ENPH), brought indexes below the water line. * 7 Excellent Penny Stocks Ready to Roar Highlights from the quarterly announcement included much-needed liquidity reassurances from management. Following a recent capital raise of more than $3.3 billion, the company stressed its ability to stay afloat for an entire year even if operations remain on hold. Further, access to additional funding is available, if required. That's certainly good news given Royal Caribbean's credit downgrade last week to a junk bond rating in the aftermath of tapping the debt markets.Lastly, RCL is seeing surprisingly strong new advanced organic bookings. And with management guiding expectations that reasonable load numbers of 30% to 50% should allow for an EBITA profit once operations are resumed, Thursday's bid has some good-looking supports behind it. RCL Stock Monthly Stock Chart Source: Charts by TradingViewOn the RCL price chart, investors electing to board the stock as an investment should be prepared for volatility. It's anticipated the latest information should have a calming effect on shares and increases the likelihood of a bottom being in place. Still, it should be appreciated Royal Caribbean's low is more than 50% beneath current prices. That could lead to substantial paper losses or worse, even if the low remains intact.Another problem is the company's ability to turn this quarter's massive loss into an eventual -- and steadier -- profit stream. Investors are obviously enjoying RCL's report. Still, operational uncertainties remain. Secondly, what if a second wave of Covid-19 hits, causing future cruise line shutdowns in its wake? It's the type of risk shareholders should be prepared to handle. Turnaround PositionWith those caveats out of the way, Royal Caribbean's climatic sell-off does lend itself to a stock positioned as a turnaround play. The provided monthly chart speaks for itself. But as with its peers, I'd recommend exposure using a limited risk options strategy to define and lessen risk relative to buying shares outright.Today's recommendation is to consider the purchase of a less-capital intensive, slightly out-of-the-money intermediate bull call spread. Currently, the September $45 / $50 or $50 / $55 call verticals are two which look reasonable given the circumstances.Bottomline, this type of strategy will require shares to continue rallying in order to allow for profits at expiration. But if RCL does move higher the benefits of leverage could also be huge compared to returns for shareholders. And defensively, investors don't have to worry about Royal Caribbean shares completely failing or sinking sufficiently and potentially causing much larger losses due to bad judgment during adverse volatility.Disclosure: Investment accounts under Christopher Tyler's management do not own positions in any securities mentioned in this article. The information offered is based upon Christopher Tyler's observations and strictly intended for educational purposes only; the use of which is the responsibility of the individual. For additional market insights and related musings, follow Chris on Twitter @Options_CAT and StockTwits. More From InvestorPlace * Top Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * America's Richest ZIP Code Holds Shocking Secret * 1 Under-the-Radar 5G Stock to Buy Now * The 1 Stock All Retirees Must Own The post How Getting Aboard Royal Caribbean Stock Makes Sense Following Earnings appeared first on InvestorPlace.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NASDAQ: NCLH) shares are trading higher on Thursday. Credit Suisse initiated coverage on the company's stock with an Outperform rating and announced a $21 price target.The shares of several cruise companies are also trading higher, pote…
The number of deaths from COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, rose above 250,000 on Tuesday, amid news reports that internal projections used by White House officials were forecasting a jump in U.S. cases to come, even as President Donald T…
The company now has enough liquidity to weather coronavirus shutdown, it said on Wednesday.
Specific statistical signals accompany bear markets.These signals occur in a sequence.Each one of these signals has been met in the March/April bear market, followed by one of the strongest rebound-rallies ever.
The cruise ship industry is getting a major haircut from an analyst at investment firm SunTrust Robinson, who says we may not have seen the bottom of Carnival (NYSE: CCL), Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE: NCLH), and Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL) shares. Analyst C. Patrick Scholes lowered his price target on Carnival 27% from $51 to $37, on Royal Caribbean 38% from $164 to $102, and on Norwegian Cruise Line 32% from $66 to $45.
Shares of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. turned lower Wednesday, even as a number of Wall Street analysts affirmed their bullish calls after additional financing was announced by the cruise operator while they played down the “going concern” warning and …
The buy-and-hold approach to the stock market generally isn’t a celebrated strategy among Reddit’s “Wall Street Bets” bunch, but more than a few glasses are being raised for one member of the meme-making trading community who claims to have made an absolute killing in recent years.
No one ever expected to see a jobs report like this in their lifetime, and hopefully we’ll never see one like this again. Stocks have a stronger feel this morning in part because there’s hope this could be the worst data of the crisis.
In earnings calls last week, we note that there is some cautious optimism in management teams.On one hand, we had a V-shaped recovery in housing demand, economic activity is picking up positively and digital adoption is accelerating rapidly.On the other hand,…
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (“Norwegian” or “the Company”) (NCLH), a leading global cruise company which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands, today announced an extension of its previously announced suspension of global cruise voyages to include voyages embarking between July 1 and July 31, 2020 for its three cruise brands. The voyage suspension contributes to global efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Guru releases 1st-quarter portfolio Continue reading...
Initial jobless claims for the week ended May 9 totaled 2.98 million, which was lower than the previous period.
Good news from Gilead Sciences and a statement from the Federal Reserve offset some grim economic numbers
Companies like airlines and oil producers gained the most, while tech and consumer staples lagged behind.
There are no guaranteed winners and losers in this market. Based on price change, volume gain and volume drop, these are the top movers this week.
In the first few minutes of trading Wednesday, shares of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NYSE: NCLH), Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL), and Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL) rushed forward in near lockstep, rising 11.3%, 11.5%, and 11.6% -- but the rally didn't last the hour. Seems investors can't make up their minds what's going on with the cruise industry today. Clearly cruise stocks are moving as a group, and not based on how investors weigh their individual merits -- which isn't surprising.
OneSpaWorld is a much better short opportunity than the cruise lines themselves. OSW was already looking over-leveraged and financially distressed before Covid-19. OneSpaWorld is a Bahamian company (therefore unlikely to get a US federal bailout). Man…
Volatility continues to be the name of the game for cruise line stocks in May, and Thursday's trading is no different. Today, the catalyst for shares surging was a Credit Suisse analyst initiating relatively positive coverage on cruise line stocks. Shares of Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE: NCLH) jumped as much as 12.3%, Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL) was up 10.7% early in trading, and Carnival (NYSE: CCL) rose 6.9%.
On Thursday, Credit Suisse analysts led by Benjamin Chaiken initiated coverage of the cruise line industry with an outperform rating of Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines, and a neutral rating of Carnival Corporation. The firm thinks that while COVID-19 will likely have "a lasting impact on the cruise industry, the unmatched value proposition of the product will be a driving force behind a recovery". The Final Round panel discusses the sector’s outlook.
Global markets have been slower to bounce back than the US from the March sell-off, even though some countries are further ahead in the recovery process.There's also been an unsurprising bifurcation between high quality firms and more distressed areas.Tariq D…
Walmart really impressed with its earnings today, and Home Depot had some good tidings too despite coming up short on EPS. It looks like they both benefited from the “stay-at-home” economy, especially WMT with its huge gains in e-commerce sales.
Shares of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. took a dive Tuesday, after the cruise operator issued a “going concern” warning, citing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on its business, and the fact that management’s plan to obtain additional financing ha…
Victoria Fernandez, Chief Market Strategist at Crossmark Global Investments, joins Yahoo Finance's Alexis Christoforous and Brian Sozzi to break down the latest earnings report, weigh in on the state of carnival and airlines stocks and discuss overall markets around Tuesday's opening bell.
It has been anything but smooth sailing for the cruise industry. The COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread travel restrictions have caused sailings to be suspended, sending shares to record lows. To survive, cruise operators have gone into cash preservation mode, entering into liquidity enhancing credit agreements. Against this backdrop, investors are hardly lining up to pull the trigger on names within this area of the market. However, five-star analyst Benjamin Chaiken, of Credit Suisse, has a more optimistic view of the industry. He acknowledges that “COVID -19 may be the toughest challenge the industry has ever faced”, with it potentially taking several years to regain pricing parity. That being said, he argues the “unmatched value proposition of the product” will power a rebound, and that the recent weakness presents an attractive entry point with liquidity struggles already built in. Highlighting the resiliency of the industry, Chaiken said, "The cruise industry has bounced back before from deadly accidents, sudden regulatory changes and storms.” He added, “Additionally, we think the cruise demographic is favorable for a recovery in demand, and could be why 55% of cruise customers, according to our checks, are opting for a cruise credit vs. cash, post COVID -19 disruption. We think this is a very powerful data point highlighting the resiliency in the product, and speaks volumes in terms of future demand for the industry, especially in the context of current sentiment which questions if the product will even exist in the future.” Taking all of this into consideration, Chaiken points to two cruise line stocks with especially strong long-term growth narratives, initiating coverage of each with bullish ratings. The analyst does remind clients that not all cruise industry players are set to outperform, recommending that investors avoid one in particular. Using TipRanks’ database, we wanted to see if other Wall Street analysts agree with Chaiken’s calls. Here’s what we found out. Royal Caribbean (RCL) With 63 ships carrying approximately 6 million passengers every year, Royal Caribbean counts itself as one of the top cruise ship operators. While COVID-19 has certainly taken a toll on the company, Chaiken believes that when demand recovers, RCL will be a major beneficiary. The Credit Suisse analyst argues that part of the company’s strength is derived from the location in which it operates cruises. “We think the Caribbean –where RCL is best positioned in terms of capacity allocation and product--could be a bright spot when demand does return. Many Caribbean itineraries require little or no air travel to embarkation, which we think is likely a positive for those with remaining fear over air travel,” he explained. It also doesn’t hurt that “RCL has the ability to market to guests with a shorter booking window.” Additionally, Chaiken implores investors to take RCL’s performance before the onset of the public health crisis into account. "We think RCL was gaining significant momentum heading into the Coronavirus-led slowdown, with its CocoCay destination (a private island in the Bahamas offering differentiated land-based activities), demanding price premiums and an had been planning an 80% increase in volume in 2020 vs. 2019, prior to the outbreak,” the analyst stated. He added, “RCL finished 2019 at 108% occupancy and reported net yields of 8%.” If that wasn’t enough, Chaiken expects several potential tailwinds to emerge post-COVID-19. Its acquisition of Silversea added two ships to the fleet and expanded its agent network, providing a tailwind to yields. Cost tailwinds could also be in RCL’s future. Even though liquidity and cash burn are considered by some to be a cause for concern, Chaiken is optimistic. “RCL recently raised $3.3 billion in secured notes, giving us further confidence that they should be able to manage the slowdown,” he noted. To this end, Chaiken kicked off his RCL coverage by publishing an Outperform rating. Accompanying the bullish call is a $67 price target, which suggests 55% upside potential. (To watch Chaiken’s track record, click here) Looking at the consensus breakdown, the bulls have it. RCL’s Moderate Buy consensus rating breaks down into 8 Buys, 5 Holds and 1 Sell. At $60.36, the average price target implies 39% upside potential. (See Royal Caribbean stock analysis on TipRanks) Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) Comprised of three brands that include Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, this name operates 28 ships in the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Asia, Bermuda and Hawaii. Despite the fact that COVID-19 fears have pushed shares down by 76% year-to-date, Credit Suisse recommends that investors go in on NCLH based on its solid event path and positioning in an expanding segment. Chaiken points out that NCLH has recently enhanced liquidity in not one, not two, but six different ways. These include receiving a “debt holiday” from its export credit partners, delaying amortization payments which added $905 million of liquidity, an investment from private equity firm L Catterton, as well as share, convertible debt and notes offerings. On top of this, the company already ended 2019 with $1.8 billion of liquidity. With respect to cash burn, Chaiken estimates “NCLH has a cash burn profile in the $140-150 million per month range”, which gives it two years of runway in an environment with no revenue. It should also be noted that NCLH doesn’t have ship deliveries until 2022, alleviating some of the pressure on the company. "With $4 billion of liquidity, no new ship deliveries until 2022, and our assumption of a return to cruising in August, we do not see bankruptcy on the table,” the analyst commented. Sure, COVID-19 will most likely weigh on pricing and capacity in 2020, but Chaiken thinks that like RCL, the strong trends witnessed before the outbreak should be considered. “NCLH finished the year at 107% occupancy and reported net yields of 3.6% in 2019. Adjusting for headwinds related to Norwegian Pearl, Hurricane Dorian and Cuba, we think NCLH generated core growth of 5.6% in 2019... we think NCLH was likely ~20 -25% booked for 1H21, as of March 1, providing a layer of pricing stability, even as newly booked sailings potentially see significant pricing deceleration as some cancellations inevitably occur,” he explained. Adding to the good news, NCLH also stands to benefit from the reversal of the shortened Cuba booking window and improving mix for the former Cuba ships as well as lapping Hurricane Dorian and a technical issue related to Pearl, with these adding a “small layer of stability in a volatile time.” “We think NCLH offers a differentiated vacation, within an oligopoly, at a significant discount to other land-based alternatives and as such we believe we will see demand for the product come back,” Chaiken concluded. It should come as no surprise, then, that Chaiken joined the bulls. To start off his coverage, he put an Outperform rating and $21 price target on the stock. Should this target be met, a twelve-month gain of 50% could be in store. Turning now to the rest of the Street, 7 Buys and 8 Holds have been assigned in the last three months, making the consensus rating a Moderate Buy. In addition, the $16.50 average price target implies shares could surge 18% in the next year. (See Norwegian Cruise Line stock analysis on TipRanks) Carnival Corporation (CCL) When it comes to Carnival, the largest publicly traded cruise line, the company has found itself in choppy waters, with Chaiken not expecting smooth sailing anytime soon. Down 71% since the start of 2020, some might see this decline as representing a buying opportunity. However, in the long-term, Chaiken believes the company will come up short when compared to its peers. The analyst makes it clear that he doesn’t see bankruptcy as being very likely based on the fact that CCL raised $9 billion of liquidity over the last few months. Having said that, this financing could create a problem for CCL as it will almost triple its interest expense. Looking at the near-term, Chaiken points to its high levels of cash burn as setting the company up for trouble. “From a cash burn perspective, we estimate CCL has a cash burn profile in the ~$1 billion per month range, leaving them with just over nine months of runway in a zero-revenue environment. This compares to RCL of $450-470 million per month and NCLH of $140- 150 million per month,” he stated. Also problematic, CCL had less momentum going into the year than both RCL and NCLH as its net yields were flat. The most significant issue for CCL, though, is that passengers from Europe make up a substantial portion of its customer base, and Chaiken has less confidence in certain European economies, namely Italy. Expounding on this, Chaiken said, “Given CCL sources its European itineraries (~30% of capacity) with guests from Europe, in our view it adds an additional layer of risk to the story not present in RCL or NCLH...So while we think CCL will live to fight another day, we think CCL will underperform peers as demand rebounds. In short, we think CCL has greater implicit leverage to continental Europe given they fill their European-based itineraries with customers who live in Europe.” Bearing this in mind, Chaiken took a spot on the sidelines. Along with his Neutral rating, he set a $12 price target. This target suggests shares could shed 18% of their value in the next year. The verdict is in, and the rest of the Street agrees with Chaiken. 3 Buys, 8 Holds and 3 Sells add up to a Hold consensus rating. That said, the $19.33 average price target does indicate upside potential, 32% to be exact. (See Carnival price targets and analyst ratings on TipRanks)
A holiday weekend, a new week, and a new coronavirus vaccine candidate -- these three factors helped spark a new stock rally Tuesday, and cruise line stocks Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL), Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL), and Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE: NCLH) are key beneficiaries of the optimism today. In 1 p.m. EDT trading, shares of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings stock are up a whopping 15.0%, with Carnival (up 12.7%) and Royal Caribbean (up 13.8%) shares not far behind.
Head of Macro Strategy at Academy Securities Peter Tchir joins Yahoo Finance’s Seana Smith to break down his outlook on the markets as coronavirus cases surpass 1.5M in the U.S., according to John Hopkins.
A number of industries have been absolutely pummeled by the novel coronavirus pandemic. With the exception of cruise lines, few have taken it on the chin the way airlines have. International and domestic air travel has plummeted, and the future of air travel looks far from promising. American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL) shares have dropped by as much as 70% since February. That would make them tempting to buy on the cheap if there was a clear path to recovery. But there isn't. Even after hobbling together a week of 9% gains, AAL stock is still way too risky.Source: GagliardiPhotography / Shutterstock.com Airlines and cruise lines are in a similar boat at the moment (pardon the pun). Both saw their business -- carrying passengers -- gutted by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Companies in both sectors have seen their stock value collapse. Both are hanging by a thread, hoping for a future return to normalcy.The vultures are circling both sectors. On May 5, Norwegian Cruise Lines (NYSE:NCLH) publicly raised the possibility of bankruptcy. Globally, several airlines have already declared bankruptcy as a result of the pandemic, including Flybe and Virgin Australia.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsU.S. airlines have a huge problem that the cruise lines don't. While cruise lines are docking their ships to wait out the storm, U.S. airlines must continue flying. Even with passenger volume down by as much as 95% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Part of their fleet can be grounded, but service must continue, and that means huge operational costs continue. American Airlines has reportedly been burning through $70 million a day since the crisis began. * 7 Tech Stocks That Are Bolstered by Contact Tracing Initiatives Is it any wonder AAL stock is sitting at lows not seen since 2013? What About Government Bailouts?Cruise lines were ineligible for government funding under the CARES Act. Incorporating offshore brought them big tax advantages, but cost them any shot at receiving assistance.Airlines did get money. Of the $2 trillion in funding, $58 billion was earmarked for keeping the airlines afloat. American Airlines received a $4.1 billion grant and $1.7 billion in loans. But the assistance came with big catches. Companies accepting CARES funding are banned from share buybacks for the term of the loan plus one year, and can't issue dividends. In addition, the government funds are aimed at keeping staff employed. And to be eligible, airlines must keep flying domestically, which brings us back to those killer operating costs. The 'New Normal' for Air Travel Doesn't Look PrettyAmerican Airlines is taking measures to reduce risk, and to reassure passengers that it is safe to fly. In May, it began distributing face masks and sanitizing wipes to passengers. Flight attendants were required to wear face masks. Food and beverage service was suspended on domestic flights. Its planes have been undergoing thorough cleaning after every flight, including disinfecting any surfaces passengers may have touched. Social distancing is enforced in airports, at ticket counters and during boarding.All of these measures mean added cost. Some are intrusive enough to have the opposite effect and discourage some passengers from flying. In addition, there is pressure for additional safety measures ranging from passenger temperature checks to flying planes with seats empty to provide distance between passengers.Until an effective COVID-19 vaccine is brought to market and the pandemic brought under control, none of this may be enough. Robert Reich, a noted University of California at Berkeley professor told CNBC:"Many people are not going to feel safe going back to crowded airplanes … until they see that the number of new deaths from the virus has gone down to almost none in their region, or until there is a vaccine or much better ways of tracing and isolating who has it." It's not just flying for pleasure that faces a bleak future.Business travel is also at risk. Companies that instituted work from home policies and travel bans as the coronavirus hit the U.S. are discovering they saved a lot of money. As a result, the future of airlines may include significantly less business travel, as companies adopt cost-effective alternatives like video conferencing instead. Bottom Line on AAL StockTouching $10, AAL stock is trading slightly above its $9.04 close on May 15. That was its low point for 2020, by the way. Even during the worst of the March market selloff, the stock was performing better. The current price combined with a 9% gain over the past week might convince you now is the time to scoop up American Airlines shares.However, doing so assumes things won't get worse for American. Based on the continued havoc being wreaked by the coronavirus and the bleak prospects for air travel under the "new normal," I certainly wouldn't make that bet. Louis Navellier had an unconventional start, as a grad student who accidentally built a market-beating stock system -- with returns rivaling even Warren Buffett. In his latest feat, Louis discovered the "Master Key" to profiting from the biggest tech revolution of this (or any) generation. Louis Navellier may hold some of the aforementioned securities in one or more of his newsletters. More From InvestorPlace * Top Stock Picker Reveals His Next 1,000% Winner * America's Richest ZIP Code Holds Shocking Secret * 1 Under-the-Radar 5G Stock to Buy Now * The 1 Stock All Retirees Must Own The post American Airlines Stock Is Still Too Risky Despite Supposed Resurgence appeared first on InvestorPlace.
The cruise ship industry has been tempest-tost as the COVID-19 pandemic shipwrecked the stocks of Carnival (NYSE: CCL), Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE: NCLH), and Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL) over the last three months with losses of 60% or more. Chaiken initiated coverage on Carnival, Norwegian, and Royal, though he sees the latter two cruise lines as better investments.