Carnival PLC (LSE:CCL) finals next Friday (20 September) should be the icing on a bumper year for the cruise operator.
Shares are up more than 50% year-to-date with the group confirming its recovery with a record third quarter and upgrade to underlying cash profit (EBITDA) to US$6 billion from $5.8 billion.
Bookings and pricing in 2025 are also said to be strong while Hargreaves Lansdown adds that the weak oil price will also give a boost.
One lagging indicator is debt reduction, with forecasts suggesting only a 3% drop to US$27.3 billion, which is likely to stop a return to dividends to at least 2027, the wealth platform suggests.