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        <title>Carnival plc (LSE:CCL) Share Price, History, &amp; News | The Motley Fool UK</title>
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	<title>Carnival plc (LSE:CCL) Share Price, History, &amp; News | The Motley Fool UK</title>
	<link>https://www.fool.co.uk/tickers/lse-ccl/</link>
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                                <title>Burberry isn&#8217;t the only &#8216;unpopular&#8217; UK stock to nearly double in just 12 months!</title>
                <link>https://www.fool.co.uk/2025/08/29/burberry-isnt-the-only-unpopular-uk-stock-to-nearly-double-in-just-12-months/</link>
                                <pubDate>Fri, 29 Aug 2025 07:38:00 +0000</pubDate>
                <dc:creator><![CDATA[Paul Summers]]></dc:creator>
                		<category><![CDATA[Investing Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Value Shares]]></category>

                <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.fool.co.uk/?p=1568576</guid>
                                    <description><![CDATA[<p>Burberry shares have delivered a magnificent return for those buying one year ago. But another fallen star has also been in fine form.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/2025/08/29/burberry-isnt-the-only-unpopular-uk-stock-to-nearly-double-in-just-12-months/">Burberry isn&#8217;t the only &#8216;unpopular&#8217; UK stock to nearly double in just 12 months!</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk">The Motley Fool UK</a>.</p>
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<p>Buying UK stocks when they&#8217;re hated isn&#8217;t easy. But luxury fashion house <strong>Burberry</strong> (<a class="tickerized-link" href="https://www.fool.co.uk/tickers/lse-brby/">LSE: BRBY</a>) is just one example that&#8217;s delivered for those who invested when things were looking particularly grim 12 months ago.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sales-slump">Sales slump</h2>



<p>Sales began to crater back in 2023 as inflation hit discretionary spending and consumers hunkered down. This was particularly evident in key markets such as China. As expected, this led to several profit warnings, pushing the share price down to a level not seen for 14 years.</p>



<p>To be fair, this wasn&#8217;t the only luxury retailer feeling the heat. But sentiment was further hit by the (understandable) suspension of <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/how-shares-are-taxed-2/how-dividends-are-taxed/">dividends</a> and the removal of CEO Jonathan Akeroyd. A brief rally in the final quarter of 2024 petered out in the run-up to Donald Trump unveiling his tariffs in April this year. </p>



<p>However,  the combination of a well-received turnaround plan and signs that sales are now stabilising has caused that momentum to return, leaving Burberry shares up 94% in 12 months. </p>



<div class="tmf-chart-singleseries" data-title="Burberry Group Plc Price" data-ticker="LSE:BRBY" data-range="5y" data-start-date="" data-end-date="" data-comparison-value=""></div>




<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-green-shoots">Green shoots?</h2>



<p>Of course, this good form can&#8217;t disguise the fact that many loyal investors are probably still in the red. But signs that realigning itself with its British heritage are working could push the shares up further.</p>



<p>There&#8217;s still some interest from short-sellers &#8212; those betting the stock will fall in value. However, this is far lower than it used to be. New CEO Joshua Schulman also picked up over £300,000 worth of Burberry stock back in June.</p>



<p>With inflation bouncing again, I&#8217;m inclined to wait until November&#8217;s half-year numbers before deciding whether to take a position here. Still, I&#8217;d be surprised if the lows of 2024 are revisited.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pandemic-casualty">Pandemic casualty</h2>



<p>Also rebounding over the last 12 months has been cruise ship operator <strong>Carnival</strong> (<a class="tickerized-link" href="https://www.fool.co.uk/tickers/lse-ccl/">LSE: CCL</a>). Unfortunately, I owned a stake in the company when Covid-19 struck. Sensing that the share price would be in for a tough time, I sold up and moved on.</p>



<p>Looking back, I&#8217;m glad I did. Carnival&#8217;s stock remains far below where it stood in early 2020. But it&#8217;s now moving in the right direction at least. We&#8217;re talking about a 94% gain in 12 months! And that&#8217;s despite a big sell-off in April, again in response to President Trump&#8217;s proposed tariffs.</p>



<p>Much of this is probably down to the company reporting strong bookings and higher on-board spending. Most recently, Q2 <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/investment-glossary/what-is-revenue/">revenue</a> came in higher than analysts were expecting. This pushed management to raise its guidance for the full year.</p>



<div class="tmf-chart-singleseries" data-title="Carnival &amp; Plc Price" data-ticker="LSE:CCL" data-range="5y" data-start-date="" data-end-date="" data-comparison-value=""></div>




<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-no-return-trip">No return trip</h2>



<p>The problem is that what attracted me to Carnival in the first place, namely the dividends, no longer exist. And there&#8217;s every reason to think they won&#8217;t be back anytime soon. Put simply, the pandemic pushed the company to take on an awful lot more debt to stay afloat. And reducing that debt has to be prioritised.</p>



<p>Looking ahead, there&#8217;s little doubt that cruising will remain popular, especially as many of today&#8217;s retirees &#8212; a key target demographic &#8212; seem far more active than previous generations. But the idea that Carnival will now sail back to previous highs without issue is probably asking for too much given the multiple risks faced by the travel industry in general.</p>



<p>I&#8217;m content to watch from the shore.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/2025/08/29/burberry-isnt-the-only-unpopular-uk-stock-to-nearly-double-in-just-12-months/">Burberry isn&#8217;t the only &#8216;unpopular&#8217; UK stock to nearly double in just 12 months!</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk">The Motley Fool UK</a>.</p>
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                                <title>Hunting for an enticing entry point? 3 US stocks to key an eye on</title>
                <link>https://www.fool.co.uk/2025/04/15/hunting-for-an-enticing-entry-point-3-us-stocks-to-key-an-eye-on/</link>
                                <pubDate>Tue, 15 Apr 2025 07:39:30 +0000</pubDate>
                <dc:creator><![CDATA[Dr. James Fox]]></dc:creator>
                		<category><![CDATA[Investing Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[US Stock]]></category>

                <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.fool.co.uk/?p=1501782</guid>
                                    <description><![CDATA[<p>As financial markets remain turbulent, savvy investors are hunting for opportunities in the chaos. I have quite an extensive watchlist &#8230;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/2025/04/15/hunting-for-an-enticing-entry-point-3-us-stocks-to-key-an-eye-on/">Hunting for an enticing entry point? 3 US stocks to key an eye on</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk">The Motley Fool UK</a>.</p>
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<p>As financial markets remain turbulent, savvy investors are hunting for opportunities in the chaos. I have quite an extensive watchlist entitled &#8216;Trump Sell-off&#8217;, but today I’m focusing on three US stocks that are trading near their 52-week lows.</p>



<p>The three stocks are <strong>Nu Holdings</strong> (<a class="tickerized-link" href="https://www.fool.co.uk/tickers/nyse-nu/">NYSE:NU</a>), <strong>RH</strong> (<a class="tickerized-link" href="https://www.fool.co.uk/tickers/nyse-rh/">NYSE:RH</a>), and <strong>Carnival</strong> (<a class="tickerized-link" href="https://www.fool.co.uk/tickers/lse-ccl/">LSE:CCL</a>) (yes, Carnival is a UK stock but it has a primary listing in the US). Anyway, they&#8217;ve all been heavily impacted by global economic uncertainty and policies under US President Donald Trump. Despite these challenges, they boast strong fundamentals.</p>



<p>However, the market is choppy. A lot depends on the whim of the US administration and I’m yet to buy any shares since &#8216;Liberation Day&#8217;.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-fintech-powerhouse-with-room-to-run"><strong>A fintech powerhouse with room to run</strong></h2>



<p>Nu Holdings is a leading fintech company in Latin America. The stock is flat over the year, but has traded more than 50% higher than it does today. The downturn has been exacerbated by Trump&#8217;s trade policies that have strained international markets, particularly emerging economies.</p>



<div class="tmf-chart-singleseries" data-title="Nu Holdings Price" data-ticker="NYSE:NU" data-range="5y" data-start-date="" data-end-date="" data-comparison-value=""></div>




<p>However, Nu Holdings remains a compelling business. The company reported impressive revenue growth of 49% year on year in its latest quarter, reaching $2.99bn. That was well above analyst expectations.&nbsp;Its customer base has surged by 22% to 114.2m, capitalising on demand for <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/market-sectors/investing-in-bank-stocks-in-the-uk/">banking</a> services especially among underserved populations.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Despite challenges such as foreign exchange volatility and narrowing net interest margins, Nu Holdings achieved a huge annualised return on equity of 29% and a net income increase of 85% year on year. It’s pricey at 20 times forward earnings, but this is expected to fall to 6 times by 2027.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-luxury-furniture-made-in-vietnam"><strong>Luxury furniture, made in Vietnam</strong></h2>



<p>RH (formerly Restoration Hardware) is another stock near its 52-week low that deserves attention. Known for its upmarket furniture and home décor offerings, RH has established itself as a global leader in luxury retail. However, the company mostly manufacturers in Vietnam and is exposed to any tariffs there. As such, management experienced a whirlwind of emotions in recent weeks — the CEO was shocked when he saw what was happening to the share price during the <a href="https://youtu.be/rorgvDL1FwQ?si=20JBMfRu_Ei9Tg1n">3 April earnings call</a>.</p>



<div class="tmf-chart-singleseries" data-title="RH Price" data-ticker="NYSE:RH" data-range="5y" data-start-date="" data-end-date="" data-comparison-value=""></div>




<p>I’m just keeping a close eye on this one. Tariffs could really impact margins. Current forecasts suggest it&#8217;s trading at 15 <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/how-to-value-shares/pe-ratio/">times forward earnings</a>, falling to five times in just three years. These forecasts will need altering if the tariffs on Vietnam are hard to absorb.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-choppy-waters"><strong>Choppy waters </strong></h2>



<p>Carnival is one of the world’s largest cruise operators and its stock price drifted near its 52-week low since the tariff announcements and a threat from the administration to make cruise operators pay more tax. A tariff-induced recession and more taxes aren’t good for business.</p>



<div class="tmf-chart-singleseries" data-title="Carnival &amp; Plc Price" data-ticker="LSE:CCL" data-range="5y" data-start-date="" data-end-date="" data-comparison-value=""></div>




<p>Nonetheless, it’s important to note the cruise sector has been performing extremely well since the pandemic. Consumers have increasingly focused on experience-based holidays, providing a real boost for cruise companies. This is evidenced by the fact that Carnival has approximately 80% of capacity booked for 2025 already, providing some shelter from Trump’s tariffs.</p>



<p>Moreover, it has implemented cost-saving measures and fleet upgrades to enhance operational efficiency. And at 9.4 times forward earnings, the stock doesn’t look expensive. I’ve owned this one for some time, but I may double down in the current market.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/2025/04/15/hunting-for-an-enticing-entry-point-3-us-stocks-to-key-an-eye-on/">Hunting for an enticing entry point? 3 US stocks to key an eye on</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk">The Motley Fool UK</a>.</p>
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                                <title>£10,000 invested in Rolls-Royce shares 5 years ago is now worth&#8230;</title>
                <link>https://www.fool.co.uk/2025/04/06/10000-invested-in-rolls-royce-shares-5-years-ago-is-now-worth-2/</link>
                                <pubDate>Sun, 06 Apr 2025 07:14:00 +0000</pubDate>
                <dc:creator><![CDATA[Stephen Wright]]></dc:creator>
                		<category><![CDATA[Growth Shares]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Investing Articles]]></category>

                <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.fool.co.uk/?p=1493259</guid>
                                    <description><![CDATA[<p>Rolls-Royce shares have been on fire since April 2020. Part of this is the result of pandemic restrictions lifting, but that isn’t the whole story.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/2025/04/06/10000-invested-in-rolls-royce-shares-5-years-ago-is-now-worth-2/">£10,000 invested in Rolls-Royce shares 5 years ago is now worth&#8230;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk">The Motley Fool UK</a>.</p>
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<p>The returns <strong>Rolls-Royce </strong>(<a class="tickerized-link" href="https://www.fool.co.uk/tickers/lse-rr/">LSE:RR</a>) shares have generated since the end of the pandemic are hard to ignore. Over the last five years, the stock’s up 728%.</p>


<div class="tmf-chart-singleseries" data-title="Rolls-Royce Plc Price" data-ticker="LSE:RR." data-range="5y" data-start-date="2020-04-06" data-end-date="2025-04-06" data-comparison-value=""></div>



<p>That&#8217;s enough to turn a £10,000 investment from April 2020 into £82,812<strong> </strong>today. And while the end of Covid-19 travel restrictions have been a big help, there&#8217;s more to it than this.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rolls-royce-nbsp">Rolls-Royce&nbsp;</h2>



<p>It&#8217;s easy to attribute Rolls-Royce’s success to the recovery in travel demand. And there&#8217;s no doubt an increase in engine flying hours has been a big part of the story.</p>



<p>Increased demand for engine servicing has caused a recovery in revenues and profits. This in turn has allowed the company to reduce the debt on its <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/understanding-company-accounts/the-balance-sheet/">balance sheet</a>, bringing down interest costs.</p>



<p>Rolls-Royce has gone from paying £476m<strong> </strong>in interest on its borrowings in 2022 to £245m<strong> </strong>in 2024. And this has further boosted profitability and free cash flow generation.&nbsp;</p>



<p>It&#8217;s too simplistic though, to say the stock has gone from 86p to £7.15 over the last five years because of the end of the pandemic. Not every business that was affected in the same way has managed a similar recovery.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-carnival">Carnival</h2>



<p><strong>Carnival</strong>‘s (<a class="tickerized-link" href="https://www.fool.co.uk/tickers/lse-ccl/">LSE:CCL</a>) another stock that struggled badly during Covid-19. And while the share price is 104% higher than it was five years ago, it hasn&#8217;t reached Rolls-Royce levels.</p>


<div class="tmf-chart-singleseries" data-title="Carnival &amp; Plc Price" data-ticker="LSE:CCL" data-range="5y" data-start-date="2020-04-06" data-end-date="2025-04-06" data-comparison-value=""></div>



<p>Carnival&#8217;s <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/understanding-company-accounts/the-balance-sheet/">operating profits</a> in 2024 were higher than they were in 2019. But the firm has almost three times as much long-term debt, which means a lot of that income goes on interest payments.</p>



<p>As a result, earnings per share are around a third of what they were before the pandemic. And that&#8217;s why the stock hasn&#8217;t managed the same sort of recovery as Rolls-Royce.</p>



<p>I think Carnival&#8217;s performance is an indication that Rolls-Royce&#8217;s recent success hasn&#8217;t just been the result of travel restrictions lifting. There&#8217;s been something more going on.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ceo">CEO</h2>



<p>As well as the effects of the pandemic unwinding, Rolls-Royce has benefitted a lot from a dynamic CEO. Tufan Erginbilgiç has done a lot for the firm since joining from <strong>BP</strong> in 2023.</p>



<p>Changes have included shifting away from assets that generated weaker returns, such as ITP Aero (sold) and Rolls-Royce Electrical (ceased). This has improved the firm’s overall returns.</p>



<p>Erginbilgiç has also renegotiated Long-Term Service Agreements where the company services engines for a fixed fee. These can be unprofitable if costs exceed the value of the contract.</p>



<p>Rolls-Royce’s performance has been driven in large part by the firm’s internal transformation, not just an easier trading environment. And this is important from an investment perspective.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-buy-low">Buy low?</h2>



<p>Rolls-Royce shares have been outstanding over the last few years. And Covid-19 restrictions lifting by itself doesn&#8217;t fully explain why this has been the case.</p>



<p>This has however, been an important part of the story and I think the place to look for opportunities right now is in sectors that are going through short-term challenges.</p>



<p>That&#8217;s what I&#8217;m doing. I&#8217;m not saying the Rolls-Royce share price can&#8217;t go higher from here, but I don&#8217;t see this as an obvious time to be thinking about buying the stock.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/2025/04/06/10000-invested-in-rolls-royce-shares-5-years-ago-is-now-worth-2/">£10,000 invested in Rolls-Royce shares 5 years ago is now worth&#8230;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk">The Motley Fool UK</a>.</p>
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                                <title>This FTSE growth share has rocketed 30% in a month! What&#8217;s going on?</title>
                <link>https://www.fool.co.uk/2024/10/14/this-ftse-growth-share-has-rocketed-30-in-a-month-whats-going-on/</link>
                                <pubDate>Mon, 14 Oct 2024 10:45:12 +0000</pubDate>
                <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Smith]]></dc:creator>
                		<category><![CDATA[Growth Shares]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Investing Articles]]></category>

                <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.fool.co.uk/?p=1401934</guid>
                                    <description><![CDATA[<p>Jon Smith reveals one growth share that's really starting to see some momentum after a fantastic set of quarterly results and an upgraded outlook.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/2024/10/14/this-ftse-growth-share-has-rocketed-30-in-a-month-whats-going-on/">This FTSE growth share has rocketed 30% in a month! What&#8217;s going on?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk">The Motley Fool UK</a>.</p>
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<p></p>



<p>Even though the <strong>FTSE 250</strong> is marginally down over the past month, one growth share in the index has jumped almost 30% over the same period. The clear divergence not only makes me interested in seeing what drove the move, but also could provide me with a solid stock to buy to give my portfolio a boost to end the year.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-brief-backstory">The brief backstory</h2>



<p>The stock I&#8217;m referring to is <strong>Carnival</strong> (<a class="tickerized-link" href="https://www.fool.co.uk/tickers/lse-ccl/">LSE:CCL</a>). Investors will remember that the global cruise line operator was hit exceptionally hard during the pandemic. The confined ship spaces and travel lockdowns meant that revenue dried up almost overnight. As a result, it had to take on significant debt to allow it to survive. </p>



<p>Even though restrictions eased and business was able to resume, a lot of people (myself included) were cautious about buying the stock. While it looked <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/how-to-value-shares/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">very cheap</a> in 2022, I was worried that the company might not ever get back to the pre-pandemic level.</p>



<p>It&#8217;s true that the share price is still down 53% over the past five years. This shows that the pandemic damage hasn&#8217;t been erased. But there does appear to be a change in the wind, with the stock up 55% in the past year, including this recent spike.</p>


<div class="tmf-chart-singleseries" data-title="Carnival &amp; Plc Price" data-ticker="LSE:CCL" data-range="5y" data-start-date="" data-end-date="" data-comparison-value=""></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-short-term-pop">The short-term pop</h2>



<p>At the end of September, the business released a very strong set of <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/understanding-company-accounts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quarterly results</a>. The CEO was incredibly upbeat. He noted that the business <em>&#8220;delivered a phenomenal third quarter, breaking operational records and outperforming across the board&#8221;.</em></p>



<p>Net income was $1.7bn, a jump of $662m from the same quarter last year. Q3 revenues hit an all-time high of $7.9bn, showing that consumer demand is certainly there. Carnival is benefitting from having higher ticket prices but still selling out the cruises, a perfect mix that&#8217;s shown via the financial results.</p>



<p>The Q3 figures mean that it raised the full-year 2024 adjusted EBITDA guidance to approximately $6bn. If realised, this would be up over 40% compared to 2023.</p>



<p>Naturally, the share price reacted favourably to these results on the day. Yet it&#8217;s also telling that the stock has continued to jump since then. This shows me that there&#8217;s momentum behind the move, indicating that it could keep pushing higher in the months to come.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-long-term-future">The long-term future</h2>



<p>I&#8217;ve put off buying Carnival shares for a long time as I didn&#8217;t feel comfortable. But the recent results and share price move give me a lot more confidence to consider getting involved.</p>



<p>Of course, an ongoing risk is the debt pile. Long-term debt currently stands at $26.6bn, only marginally lower than the $28.5bn from last year. I think this needs to be a key focus, as continued high interest rates makes the repayment costs chunky.</p>



<p>Although I&#8217;m not going to buy right now, my opinion of the stock has completely changed. I think there&#8217;s serious growth potential ahead, but I want to wait for a while to ensure this isn&#8217;t a flash-in-the-pan move.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/2024/10/14/this-ftse-growth-share-has-rocketed-30-in-a-month-whats-going-on/">This FTSE growth share has rocketed 30% in a month! What&#8217;s going on?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk">The Motley Fool UK</a>.</p>
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                                <title>2 UK shares for value investors to consider buying</title>
                <link>https://www.fool.co.uk/2024/10/06/2-uk-shares-for-value-investors-to-consider-buying/</link>
                                <pubDate>Sun, 06 Oct 2024 15:24:12 +0000</pubDate>
                <dc:creator><![CDATA[Stephen Wright]]></dc:creator>
                		<category><![CDATA[Investing Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Value Shares]]></category>

                <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.fool.co.uk/?p=1398609</guid>
                                    <description><![CDATA[<p>From a buying perspective, Stephen Wright thinks this looks like a good time to consider shares in cruise company Carnival and brick manufacturer Ibstock.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/2024/10/06/2-uk-shares-for-value-investors-to-consider-buying/">2 UK shares for value investors to consider buying</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk">The Motley Fool UK</a>.</p>
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<p>Value investing is <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/how-to-invest-in-shares/finding-companies-to-invest-in/">finding opportunities to buy shares</a> when they’re unusually cheap. But this isn’t always straightforward.</p>



<p>At the moment, I think there are a couple of UK stocks that might be worth looking at. They don’t look like bargains at first sight, but a closer inspection suggests there might be value here.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-carnival">Carnival</h2>



<p>A lot of the best-performing UK stocks of the last few years have been Covid-19 recovery stories. But cruise line business <strong>Carnival</strong> (<a class="tickerized-link" href="https://www.fool.co.uk/tickers/lse-ccl/">LSE:CCL</a>) hasn’t been one of them.</p>



<p>The stock is still down 62% from where it was five years ago as the company’s profits haven’t recovered from the pandemic. The big issue is the debt the firm has on its <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/understanding-company-accounts/the-balance-sheet/">balance sheet</a>.&nbsp;</p>


<div class="tmf-chart-singleseries" data-title="Carnival &amp; Plc Price" data-ticker="LSE:CCL" data-range="5y" data-start-date="2019-10-06" data-end-date="2024-10-06" data-comparison-value=""></div>



<p>As a result, the business is paying around £1.3bn in interest expense per year, compared to £142m in 2019. And there’s a risk it will have to issue shares to pay down its liabilities.</p>



<p>The good news, though, is that interest rates are starting to fall. And this should help reduce the effect of Carnival’s debt on its earnings and free cash flows.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Right now, the company’s shares trade a price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of around 14. Looking beyond the volatile Covid-19 years, that’s not unusually high for the stock.</p>



<p>If an improving balance sheet can drive higher profits in future, Carnival shares could be great value. I certainly think this one is worth a closer look for value investors.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ibstock">Ibstock</h2>



<p>At a P/E ratio of 101, <strong>FTSE 250</strong> brick company <strong>Ibstock</strong> (<a class="tickerized-link" href="https://www.fool.co.uk/tickers/lse-ibst/">LSE:IBST</a>) doesn’t look anything like a bargain. But a closer look at the business reveals a slightly different picture.</p>



<p>Ibstock’s earnings per share have fallen from 22p to 2p since 2022. That’s why the P/E multiple is high despite the stock being down 20% over the last five years.</p>


<div class="tmf-chart-singleseries" data-title="Ibstock Plc Price" data-ticker="LSE:IBST" data-range="5y" data-start-date="2019-10-06" data-end-date="2024-10-06" data-comparison-value=""></div>



<p>The main reason is weak construction output in the UK. The question for investors is whether this is <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/types-of-stocks/investing-in-cyclical-stocks-in-the-uk/">cyclical</a> or permanent – and I think there are reasons for thinking it’s the former.</p>



<p>UK house prices have been rising at their fastest rate in three years. And this can provide a big incentive for housebuilders, leading to higher demand for bricks and other materials.&nbsp;</p>



<p>One potential risk for Ibstock is the possibility of housing construction techniques changing to be less reliant on bricks. There are some signs of this happening elsewhere, notably in Europe.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Overall, though, the company looks set to benefit from a recovery in construction, but the share price arguably doesn’t reflect this. That’s why I think it’s one for value investors to consider.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-value-opportunities">Value opportunities</h2>



<p>A lot of the time, stocks are cheap for a reason – it’s because there are permanent problems with the underlying businesses. That’s one of the risks with value investing.&nbsp;</p>



<p>With Carnival and Ibstock, though, I don’t think this is the case. Both have been facing challenges recently, but I believe there’s a decent chance these are temporary in nature.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Exactly when things will start to pick up is difficult to predict. But if they do, then the current prices could be good opportunities for investors looking for long-term returns.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/2024/10/06/2-uk-shares-for-value-investors-to-consider-buying/">2 UK shares for value investors to consider buying</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk">The Motley Fool UK</a>.</p>
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                                <title>I&#8217;m avoiding these FTSE &#8216;value&#8217; stocks like the plague!</title>
                <link>https://www.fool.co.uk/2024/09/23/for-monday-value-stocks/</link>
                                <pubDate>Mon, 23 Sep 2024 12:09:00 +0000</pubDate>
                <dc:creator><![CDATA[Paul Summers]]></dc:creator>
                		<category><![CDATA[Investing Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Value Shares]]></category>

                <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.fool.co.uk/?p=1390020</guid>
                                    <description><![CDATA[<p>Value stocks have the potential to be brilliant investments but value 'traps' can destroy wealth. Our writer picks out what he believes are two of the latter.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/2024/09/23/for-monday-value-stocks/">I&#8217;m avoiding these FTSE &#8216;value&#8217; stocks like the plague!</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk">The Motley Fool UK</a>.</p>
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<p>Research has consistently shown that value stocks can massively outperform the market over the very long term. But investors still have to be careful. What seems like a bargain can sometimes turn into a costly mistake.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-share-price-crash">Share price crash</h2>



<p>Shoe-seller <strong>Dr Martens</strong> (<a class="tickerized-link" href="https://www.fool.co.uk/tickers/lse-docs/">LSE: DOCS</a>) is one example. This has been a catastrophic investment for anyone unlucky enough to hold its stock. Since listing in 2021, the share price has fallen just under 90%.</p>



<p>Frankly, I&#8217;m not surprised. While I&#8217;ve long been a fan of its legendary boots (and still own a pair!), it&#8217;s easy to see how a cost-of-living crisis and operational missteps could impact sentiment.</p>



<p>After a spate of profit warnings, it seems institutional investors have had enough too. Goldman Sachs recently dumped 70 million shares at 57.85p. That wasn&#8217;t just a lot of stock. It was also at a 9.8% discount to the previous day&#8217;s closing price.</p>



<div class="tmf-chart-singleseries" data-title="Dr. Martens Plc Price" data-ticker="LSE:DOCS" data-range="5y" data-start-date="" data-end-date="" data-comparison-value=""></div>




<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-the-fall-overdone">Is the fall overdone? </h2>



<p>In its most recent update &#8212; in July &#8212; the company said that trading had been &#8220;<em>in line with expectations</em>&#8221; (although it&#8217;s worth questioning just how high those expectations were). Guidance for FY25 was maintained and costs are also being cut where possible.</p>



<p>In addition to this, the forecast <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/how-to-value-shares/dividend-yield/">dividend yield</a> stands at a chunky 4.9%. However, I wonder whether another cut might be on the cards if trading doesn&#8217;t improve dramatically in the second-half as management expects.</p>



<p>Dr Martens is an iconic brand. I doubt we&#8217;re seeing the final chapter in its story. But the risk of it trading sideways (or worse) for months and years while other stocks rocket higher is too great, in my view.  </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-market-leader">Market leader</h2>



<p>Another company I&#8217;m steering clear of is <strong>Carnival</strong> (<a class="tickerized-link" href="https://www.fool.co.uk/tickers/lse-ccl/">LSE: CCL</a>), even though the shares certainly <span style="text-decoration: underline">look</span> like they&#8217;re in bargain territory. </p>



<p>A forecast <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/how-to-value-shares/pe-ratio/">price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio</a> of just 10 for FY25 (beginning in December) isn’t only below the long-term average among UK stocks, it also feels screamingly cheap considering this is the largest cruise operator in the world and the popularity of such holidays is growing among all age groups.</p>



<div class="tmf-chart-singleseries" data-title="Carnival &amp; Plc Price" data-ticker="LSE:CCL" data-range="5y" data-start-date="" data-end-date="" data-comparison-value=""></div>




<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cheap-for-a-reason">Cheap for a reason</h2>



<p>My issue with Carnival’s quite simple, namely the amount of debt on its books. This ballooned during the Covid-19 pandemic (even docked ships still require maintenance) and now stands at well over the market- cap of the actual company!</p>



<p>Yes, we&#8217;ve seen the resurgence in travel since the bug was sent packing. But what happens if another economic crisis hits and investors sprint for the lifeboats again?</p>



<p>A creaking balance sheet also means that a resumption of dividends &#8211; my principal reason for once holding a stake &#8212; looks very unlikely in the near term. So investors aren&#8217;t even being paid to wait for a recovery.</p>



<p>Now, it could be argued that the gradual lowering of interest rates could help with the debt situation. It may also lead more would-be cruisers to throw caution to the wind and book a holiday.</p>



<p>But we could say that about any business that does well when levels of discretionary income rise. Why take on the additional risk here when there are far more attractive options elsewhere?</p>



<p>With Carnival, it&#8217;s a case of &#8216;once bitten, twice shy&#8217; with me.   </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/2024/09/23/for-monday-value-stocks/">I&#8217;m avoiding these FTSE &#8216;value&#8217; stocks like the plague!</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk">The Motley Fool UK</a>.</p>
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                                <title>How I’d invest £20k in a Stocks and Shares ISA to get passive income for life</title>
                <link>https://www.fool.co.uk/2024/06/09/how-id-invest-20k-in-a-stocks-and-shares-isa-to-get-passive-income-for-life/</link>
                                <pubDate>Sun, 09 Jun 2024 06:01:00 +0000</pubDate>
                <dc:creator><![CDATA[Zaven Boyrazian, CFA]]></dc:creator>
                		<category><![CDATA[Dividend Shares]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Investing Articles]]></category>

                <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.fool.co.uk/?p=1310805</guid>
                                    <description><![CDATA[<p>Zaven Boyrazian breaks down how to capitalise on the Stocks and Shares ISA annual allowance to start earning lifelong dividend income.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/2024/06/09/how-id-invest-20k-in-a-stocks-and-shares-isa-to-get-passive-income-for-life/">How I’d invest £20k in a Stocks and Shares ISA to get passive income for life</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk">The Motley Fool UK</a>.</p>
]]></description>
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<p>Despite currently being limited to £20,000, the annual Stocks and Shares ISA allowance is not something investors want to miss out on. After all, it enables a portfolio to grow unimpeded by capital gains or dividend taxes. And in the long run, that can make an enormous difference to an investor’s wealth and potential investment income.</p>



<p>So with that in mind, let’s explore how investors can leverage this powerful tool to secure a lifelong passive income stream.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-making-the-most-of-an-isa">Making the most of an ISA</h2>



<p>Because the annual allowance doesn’t roll over, any amount that goes unused is lost forever. Therefore, it makes sense for investors to try and capitalise on it as much as possible. However, in some instances, that may be unwise.</p>



<p>Investing’s a <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/how-to-invest-in-shares/finding-companies-to-invest-in/">long-term game</a>. And when putting money into a portfolio, investors should behave as if that money has been locked away for at least three to five years. Why? Because should another stock market crash or correction rear its ugly head, a portfolio is likely to take quite a tumble, even when invested in top-notch stocks. And one of the worst situations an investor can find themselves in is being forced to sell a terrific business at a terrible price to pay the bills.</p>



<p>In other words, while it’s important to try and maximise the £20,000 ISA limit each year, investors must stick to the golden rule of never investing money that they’ll need in the near term.</p>



<p><em>Please note that tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future. The content in this article is provided for information purposes only. It is not intended to be, neither does it constitute, any form of tax advice. Readers are responsible for carrying out their own due diligence and for obtaining professional advice before making any investment decisions.</em></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-generating-a-passive-income">Generating a passive income</h2>



<p>Earning a steady stream of cash flow from a stock portfolio’s fairly straightforward. One method is to slowly sell some shares in a position to earn an income stream each month. A more popular approach is to invest in dividend-paying companies.</p>



<p>Businesses that don’t have any major growth opportunities often end up redistributing excess earnings back to shareholders in the form of a dividend payment. While it can vary, these stocks usually pay out every quarter, giving income investors a fairly predictable income stream.</p>



<p>However, like most things with investing, dividends aren’t guaranteed. Let’s take a look at <strong>Carnival</strong> (<a class="tickerized-link" href="https://www.fool.co.uk/tickers/lse-ccl/">LSE:CCL</a>) as an example. Prior to the pandemic, the cruise ship operator was a favourite among income funds and portfolios. The consistent demand for cruise-style holidays enabled management to raise dividends regularly and, with it, the dividend yield.</p>



<p>In 2019, this trend seemed like it would go on for decades to come, especially as the firm operated in an industry with enormous barriers to entry, fending off any young disruptor threats. But then the pandemic came along and changed the game. With the global travel industry brought to its knees, Carnival went from industry stalwart to near bankruptcy. And even now, four years later, the dividends haven’t resumed.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diversification-is-paramount">Diversification is paramount</h2>



<p>The assassination of Carnival’s dividend was a surprise to many. After all, it wasn’t caused by an internal problem but rather an unforeseen external threat. And while it may not be another pandemic, there will undoubtedly be other industry catastrophes in the future.</p>



<p>Predicting such events is likely going to be quite the challenge. Fortunately, there’s a far easier solution – <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/what-is-diversification/">diversification</a>. By spreading an investment portfolio across many top-notch dividend-paying stocks operating in different sectors and geographies, the overall impact of one failing can be mitigated by the continued success of the other positions within a portfolio.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/2024/06/09/how-id-invest-20k-in-a-stocks-and-shares-isa-to-get-passive-income-for-life/">How I’d invest £20k in a Stocks and Shares ISA to get passive income for life</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk">The Motley Fool UK</a>.</p>
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                                <title>Could this FTSE 250 stock be the next Rolls-Royce?</title>
                <link>https://www.fool.co.uk/2024/05/11/could-this-ftse-250-stock-be-the-next-rolls-royce/</link>
                                <pubDate>Sat, 11 May 2024 16:59:00 +0000</pubDate>
                <dc:creator><![CDATA[Stephen Wright]]></dc:creator>
                		<category><![CDATA[Charticle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Investing Articles]]></category>

                <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.fool.co.uk/?p=1298629</guid>
                                    <description><![CDATA[<p>With its debt coming down, its free cash flow going up, and a recovery in demand for cruises, could FTSE 250 stock Carnival be due a major rebound?</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/2024/05/11/could-this-ftse-250-stock-be-the-next-rolls-royce/">Could this FTSE 250 stock be the next Rolls-Royce?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk">The Motley Fool UK</a>.</p>
]]></description>
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<p>The <strong>Rolls-Royce</strong> (<a class="tickerized-link" href="https://www.fool.co.uk/tickers/lse-rr/">LSE:RR</a>) share price has been on a mighty recovery from its pandemic lows. The same hasn’t been true of <strong><a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/understanding-the-market/what-is-the-ftse-250/">FTSE 250</a></strong> stock <strong>Carnival</strong> (<a class="tickerized-link" href="https://www.fool.co.uk/tickers/lse-ccl/">LSE:CCL</a>), though.</p>


<div class="tmf-chart-multipleseries" data-title="Carnival &amp; Plc + Rolls-Royce Plc Price" data-tickers="LSE:CCL LSE:RR." data-range="5y" data-start-date="2019-05-11" data-end-date="2024-05-11" data-comparison-value=""></div>



<p>The two companies have a lot in common, in terms of their economics and their exposure to macroeconomic cyclicality. It’s therefore natural to wonder whether or not Carnival could be the next Rolls-Royce.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-business-models">Business models</h2>



<p>There are a lot of similarities between Rolls-Royce and Carnival. Both are heavily dependent on travel demand, both have high fixed costs, and both have the same issues with things like inflation driving up prices.</p>



<p>As a result, it’s not surprising that both saw their total debt jump significantly during the pandemic. With most of their operating costs intact, but most of their revenues gone, borrowing became the only way to stay solvent.</p>



<p><em>Rolls-Royce vs. Carnival Total Debt 2014-24</em></p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-small-font-size"><img decoding="async" style="width: 2000px;" src="https://s3.tradingview.com/snapshots/q/qKU0RIHj.png"><br><em>Created at TradingView</em></p>



<p>The problem is that this kind of <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/understanding-company-accounts/the-balance-sheet/">balance sheet</a> damage can weigh on margins. Higher debt means higher interest payments, which in turn weighs on profitability.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Both companies are making progress in bringing their debt back down to pre-pandemic levels, but Rolls-Royce is further ahead. As Carnival catches up, there’s a chance its earnings – and share price – could get a boost.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Free cash flows</h2>



<p>The thing that really jolted the Rolls-Royce share price into life was the return of travel demand. This began to kick free cash flow into life, which allowed the company to start reducing its debt.</p>



<p>Demand for cruises has also surged to pre-pandemic levels, though. And while it hasn’t fully recovered yet, Carnival’s free cash flow has also been rising sharply over the last couple of years.</p>



<p><em>Rolls-Royce vs. Carnival Free Cash Flow 2014-24</em></p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-small-font-size"><img decoding="async" src="https://s3.tradingview.com/snapshots/8/8wfzfJZo.png" style="width: 2000px;"><br><em>Created at TradingView</em></p>



<p>This has the power to begin a positive cycle for the business. Higher free cash generaion allows the company to reduce its debt, which should boost its credit rating, leading to lower debt costs and more free cash generation.</p>



<p>That’s what has been happening with Rolls-Royce, causing the share price to jump 172% over the last year. And while the Carnival share price is up 42%, it hasn’t had the same recovery.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Operating expenses</h2>



<p>The obvious question is why Carnival shares haven’t fared as well as Rolls-Royce. The answer that stands out is the company hasn’t taken as drastic action to bring down its costs.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Both during the pandemic and under its new management, the <strong>FTSE 100</strong> engine manufacturer has been attempting to become more efficient. Operating costs are now below their pre-pandemic levels.</p>



<p><em>Rolls-Royce vs. Carnival Operating Expenses 2014-24</em></p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-small-font-size"><img decoding="async" src="https://s3.tradingview.com/snapshots/d/dGtYTivr.png" style="width: 2000px;"><br><em>Created at TradingView</em></p>



<p>Carnival hasn’t managed to achieve the same efficiencies. Its operating expenses are still significantly higher than they were before the pandemic, which is weighing on margins and profits – and thus the share price.</p>



<p>This looks like the biggest difference between the two companies. For all their structural similarities, one has taken drastic action to cut costs and the other hasn’t.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A buying opportunity?</h2>



<p>Demand for cruises has recovered just as strongly as air travel. But the Carnival share price hasn’t produced the same explosive gains since the lifting of the travel restrictions that the Rolls-Royce share price has.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The company is clearly in the process of bringing down its debt. But with operating costs still at much higher levels than 2019, I think the recovery in the stock could be much slower.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/2024/05/11/could-this-ftse-250-stock-be-the-next-rolls-royce/">Could this FTSE 250 stock be the next Rolls-Royce?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk">The Motley Fool UK</a>.</p>
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                                <title>Rolls Royce has been one of the best FTSE shares to buy in 2023. Here&#8217;s another</title>
                <link>https://www.fool.co.uk/2023/12/27/rolls-royce-has-been-one-of-the-best-ftse-shares-to-buy-in-2023-heres-another/</link>
                                <pubDate>Wed, 27 Dec 2023 12:16:55 +0000</pubDate>
                <dc:creator><![CDATA[Paul Summers]]></dc:creator>
                		<category><![CDATA[Investing Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Value Shares]]></category>

                <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.fool.co.uk/?p=1265665</guid>
                                    <description><![CDATA[<p>No prizes for guessing which FTSE company will end the year among the market's top performers. But very little fuss has been made about another winner.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/2023/12/27/rolls-royce-has-been-one-of-the-best-ftse-shares-to-buy-in-2023-heres-another/">Rolls Royce has been one of the best FTSE shares to buy in 2023. Here&#8217;s another</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk">The Motley Fool UK</a>.</p>
]]></description>
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<p>It&#8217;s not an overstatement to say that <strong>Rolls-Royce</strong> (<a class="tickerized-link" href="https://www.fool.co.uk/tickers/lse-rr/">LSE: RR</a>) shares have had a magnificent year. Indeed, the company looks set to be one of the best-performing <strong>FTSE </strong>stocks in 2023.</p>



<p>But there&#8217;s another big riser that&#8217;s been less talked about.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-covid-19-casualty"><strong>Covid-19 casualty</strong></h2>



<p>Back in 2020, cruise operator <strong>Carnival </strong>(<a class="tickerized-link" href="https://www.fool.co.uk/tickers/lse-ccl/">LSE: CCL</a>) was in crisis. Covid-19 was rapidly spreading around the world. Many of its ships became known as &#8216;floating Petri dishes&#8217; as passengers were prevented from leaving. As lockdowns were then enforced, those still to travel were forced to cancel their trips as the industry ground to a halt.</p>



<p>Understandably, the shares were hit hard. I know this only too well &#8212; I held a position in the stock at the time.</p>



<p>To stay afloat, Carnival had to take on a huge amount of debt. It still needed to maintain its ships, even if they weren&#8217;t going anywhere. Unsurprisingly, the dividend stream &#8212; my main reason for owning a stake &#8212; was also cut completely.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-back-on-form"><strong>Back on form</strong></h2>



<p>Having made it through the storm, recent times have been very different. After being told to stay behind their doors for so long &#8212; and despite a cost-of-living crisis &#8212; demand from cruisers is now booming. This has helped volumes and revenues within the industry to recover.</p>



<p>And that demand only looks set to keep rising. Trade body Cruise Lines International Association believes that roughly 35.7 million people will take to the seas in 2024. That would be a 13% jump from 2023. Importantly, it&#8217;s also 6% higher than pre-pandemic 2019.</p>



<p>No wonder the Carnival share price has been on a tear, albeit with a bit more volatility than that seen over at Rolls-Royce.</p>







<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-once-bitten"><strong>Once bitten&#8230;</strong></h2>



<p>Despite all this, I&#8217;m unlikely to venture near the shares for a second time, based on the current valuation.</p>



<p>Yes, the recovery could continue, especially if discretionary spending rebounds as interest rates are cut. Longer-term, I can only see demand for cruises growing given how increasingly active we all are, especially those in their golden years. As the ruler of the waves in this sector, Carnival&#8217;s future looks far better than it once did.</p>



<p>But that debt pile remains, making the company look vulnerable to any unexpected crises. Meanwhile, its fleet requires ongoing and substantial investment.</p>



<p>This means dividends will stay off the menu. So I won&#8217;t be compensated if, for whatever reason, the shares tumble in 2024.</p>



<p>This makes a forecast <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/how-to-value-shares/pe-ratio/">price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio</a> of 18 look fairly rich, to my eyes. </p>



<p>Of course, the same could be said about Rolls-Royce. Here, the PE stands at 24 for FY24. That&#8217;s far from cheap. Then again, it does look in better financial shape, partly due to CEO Tufan Erginbilgiç&#8217;s no-nonsense turnaround strategy. But there&#8217;s still no dividend here either.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-here-s-what-i-m-doing"><strong>Here&#8217;s what I&#8217;m doing</strong></h2>



<p>Ultimately, I&#8217;m looking to buy stakes in high-quality companies to <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/getting-started-in-investing/foolish-investing-taking-the-long-term-approach/">hold for years</a>. While both of these FTSE stocks have done incredibly well in 2023, neither ticks as many boxes as I would like. I&#8217;m also wary of some profit-taking in 2024 if already-lofty expectations aren&#8217;t met.</p>



<p>Franklin D Roosevelt once reflected that &#8220;<em>a smooth sea never made a skillful sailor</em>&#8220;. With a finite amount of cash at my disposal however, I&#8217;m driven to look for brilliant bargain buys elsewhere.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/2023/12/27/rolls-royce-has-been-one-of-the-best-ftse-shares-to-buy-in-2023-heres-another/">Rolls Royce has been one of the best FTSE shares to buy in 2023. Here&#8217;s another</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk">The Motley Fool UK</a>.</p>
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                                <title>This FTSE 250 pandemic stock has jumped 83%! Have I missed the boat?</title>
                <link>https://www.fool.co.uk/2023/12/08/this-ftse-250-pandemic-stock-has-jumped-83-have-i-missed-the-boat/</link>
                                <pubDate>Fri, 08 Dec 2023 08:06:17 +0000</pubDate>
                <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Smith]]></dc:creator>
                		<category><![CDATA[Growth Shares]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Investing Articles]]></category>

                <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.fool.co.uk/?p=1263034</guid>
                                    <description><![CDATA[<p>Jon Smith writes about a FTSE 250 growth stock that has finally got a tailwind now that the pandemic is firmly behind us.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/2023/12/08/this-ftse-250-pandemic-stock-has-jumped-83-have-i-missed-the-boat/">This FTSE 250 pandemic stock has jumped 83%! Have I missed the boat?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk">The Motley Fool UK</a>.</p>
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<p>During the pandemic, there were some companies in the <strong>FTSE 250</strong> that were hit very hard. Sectors such as travel and tourism suffered from global lockdowns. Yet for the firms that survived, a revival is happening. One <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/types-of-stocks/investing-in-growth-stocks-in-the-uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">growth stock</a> has almost doubled over the past year. This makes me wonder if there&#8217;s still time to get involved.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dealing-with-the-pandemic">Dealing with the pandemic</h2>



<p>The company I&#8217;m referring to is <strong>Carnival</strong> (<a class="tickerized-link" href="https://www.fool.co.uk/tickers/lse-ccl/">LSE:CCL</a>). The international cruise line operator has a fleet of 26 ships. I don&#8217;t need to go into much detail about the pandemic struggles, beyond the fact that the firm lost over $10bn during its 2020 <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/investing-basics/understanding-company-accounts/the-profit-and-loss-account/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">financial year alone</a>!</p>



<p>Losses have been smaller in the two reporting years since then, but naturally the business isn&#8217;t in the same shape it was in during 2019. Evidence of this can be seen from the longer-term share price performance. Over the past five years, the stock is down 71%.</p>



<p>In order to cope with financial difficulties, debt and other liabilities have been increased. Back in 2019, total liabilities stood at $19.7bn. As of the last full-year report, it had ballooned to $44.6bn. </p>



<p>Arguably, the firm had to take drastic measures in order for Carnival as an entity to survive. And it definitely still carries the battle scars, with the liabilities being a big risk going forward.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Things are changing</h2>



<p>Better quarterly results have helped to push the share price higher. For example, Q3 revenue reached an all-time high, with $1bn in net income. Naturally, generating a profit will be a welcome sign for many investors.</p>



<p>Not only this, but the CEO commented that <em>&#8220;both revenue&nbsp;and earnings&nbsp;significantly exceeded expectations this quarter enabling us to take up expectations for the year.&#8221;</em></p>



<p>So if the outlook for next year is strong (with a healthy forward order book), with no sign of any lockdowns, Carnival could really start getting back to full health.</p>



<p>Another thing that really impressed me is the focus on bringing debt down. It has also now got $5.7bn&nbsp;of liquidity, which should help cash flow going forward.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Still time to book a ticket</h2>



<p>Even with the strong jump recently, I believe there&#8217;s still plenty of room for growth next year. One reason for this is that a cloud still hangs over the stock. I think some investors remain sceptical about investing in Carnival after what has happened in recent years. Should this cloud evaporate if earnings keep beating expectations, then sentiment could turn positive very quickly.</p>



<p>Further, if Carnival matches its Q3 profitability over a full year, it would beat the 2019 profit figure. Of course, the business isn&#8217;t in the same place as it was back then, but I&#8217;d still expect the share price to be closer to the pre-pandemic level on the back of those kind of results.</p>



<p>I&#8217;m considering adding this stock to my portfolio when I have some money to spare.</p>


<div class="tmf-chart-singleseries" data-title="Carnival &amp; Plc Price" data-ticker="LSE:CCL" data-range="5y" data-start-date="" data-end-date="" data-comparison-value=""></div>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk/2023/12/08/this-ftse-250-pandemic-stock-has-jumped-83-have-i-missed-the-boat/">This FTSE 250 pandemic stock has jumped 83%! Have I missed the boat?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.fool.co.uk">The Motley Fool UK</a>.</p>
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