Carnival PLC (LSE:CCL) is set to update the markets on its first quarter trading next Wednesday, March 27.
According to analysts, the cruise ship operator should be on course for continued strong financial progress from late 2023 into the new year.
“Strong booking momentum seen in the final quarter last year means there’s not much expectation of any slippage,” Hargreaves Lansdown’s Derren Nathan said ahead of the update.
That said, traditionally quiet trading over the three months to February will likely see “most of the heavy lifting” toward full-year pre-tax earning guidance of US$5.6 billion done in the coming months, he noted.
Consensus estimates have Carnival reporting US$0.8 billion in pre-tax earnings for the first three months of the fiscal year as a result.
As per Nathan, investors will be eyeing any guidance on forward bookings, alongside clarity on rising fuel prices, in order to gauge progress towards Carnival’s targets.