CP
CARNIVAL PLC (CUK)·Q2 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Record Q2 2025 quarter: revenues $6.33B, GAAP diluted EPS $0.42, adjusted EPS $0.35; operating income $934M and adjusted EBITDA $1.51B set second‑quarter records, with net income up ~$475M YoY and adjusted net income more than tripled .
- Results beat Wall Street: adjusted EPS $0.35 vs S&P Global consensus $0.24*, and revenue $6.33B vs $6.21B*, driven by stronger ticket pricing, robust onboard revenue, and favorable expense timing .
- Full‑year 2025 guidance raised: net yields +5.0% in constant currency, adjusted net income +>40% YoY, adjusted EBITDA ≈$6.9B; Q3 2025 guide includes net yields +3.5% (cc) and adj. EPS ≈$1.30 .
- Strategic catalysts: exceeded 2026 SEA Change targets 18 months early (adj. ROIC >12.5% TTM; adj. EBITDA per ALBD +52% since 2023), upsized revolver to $4.5B, S&P and Fitch upgrades to BB+ (stable/positive) .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Pricing power and demand: “more than tripling adjusted net income driven by record net yields (in constant currency) and strong close‑in demand,” with net yields +6.4% YoY (cc), 200 bps above March guide .
- Cost and efficiency execution: fuel consumption per ALBD −6.3% YoY and cruise costs per ALBD −0.3% YoY; adj. cruise costs ex‑fuel per ALBD +3.5% YoY but better than guidance on timing .
- Balance sheet progress: refinanced ~$7B YTD at better rates; revolver upsized to $4.5B; net debt/adj. EBITDA improved to 3.7x; credit upgrades to BB+ (S&P stable; Fitch positive) .
What Went Wrong
- Unit costs excluding fuel rose: adjusted cruise costs ex‑fuel per ALBD +3.5% YoY in Q2, and Q3 guide +7% YoY ex‑fuel (cc) due to Celebration Key opening, higher advertising, lower 2025 capacity, and lapping 2024 one‑offs .
- Interest expense still heavy despite progress: Q2 net interest expense −$341M; FY 2025 interest expected ≈$1.38B (guidance table) .
- Transcript unavailable in catalog for detailed Q&A: limits visibility on granular risks, pricing dispersion, and regional performance narratives (no earnings call transcript found in tool results).
Financial Results
Core P&L vs prior quarters and consensus
Notes: Operating and EBITDA margins computed from cited revenues and operating income/adjusted EBITDA.
Estimates marked with * are values retrieved from S&P Global.
KPIs and unit economics
Actual vs S&P Global Consensus (Q2 2025)
Estimates marked with * are values retrieved from S&P Global.
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Note: Q2 2025 earnings call transcript not available in the document catalog; themes below reflect quarter press materials.
Management Commentary
- CEO tone on momentum and guidance: “Our amazing team delivered yet another phenomenal quarter… record net yields (in constant currency) and strong close‑in demand… we remain on track for a strong 4 percent net yield growth in the second half… enabled us to raise full year guidance again” .
- Strategy and SEA Change: “Already exceeded our 2026 SEA Change financial targets a full 18 months early… increasing adjusted EBITDA per ALBD by 52 percent and more than doubling adjusted ROIC to over 12.5 percent… [and] cut carbon intensity by 20 percent from 2019 levels” .
- CFO on capital structure: “Refinancing nearly $7 billion of debt already this year at favorable rates… extended and upsized our revolver capacity by 50 percent… within one notch of achieving investment grade ratings with both S&P and Fitch” .
Q&A Highlights
The Q2 2025 earnings call transcript was not available in the document catalog; detailed Q&A themes, guidance clarifications, and tone shifts cannot be extracted from primary sources at this time (no earnings‑call‑transcript found in tool search).
Estimates Context
- S&P Global consensus vs actual (Q2 2025): Adjusted EPS $0.35 vs $0.2409*; revenue $6.33B vs $6.21B*, indicating a clear beat on both earnings and sales, primarily on ticket pricing, onboard spend, and favorable timing of expenses between quarters .
- Estimate implications: FY 2025 guidance raised on yields and EBITDA (to ≈$6.9B), with adj. net income now >$2.69B; models likely move higher on yield trajectory and interest expense reductions, partially offset by elevated Q3 unit costs for Celebration Key ramp .
Estimates marked with * are values retrieved from S&P Global.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Pricing power durable: Net yields beat guidance again; strong close‑in demand and onboard revenue underpin upside to per‑diem trajectory .
- Earnings quality improved: Operating margin expanded >500 bps YoY; adjusted EBITDA margin up ~300 bps YoY, well above 2019 levels .
- Guidance reset higher: FY 2025 adj. EBITDA ≈$6.9B and adj. net income >$2.69B; Q3 adj. EPS ≈$1.30 provides near‑term trading anchor .
- De‑leveraging continues: Net debt/adj. EBITDA improved to 3.7x; ratings upgrades and revolver upsizing add flexibility—supportive for equity risk premium compression .
- Near‑term cost headwinds: Expect Q3 adj. cruise costs ex‑fuel per ALBD +7% YoY (cc) on Celebration Key ramp and higher advertising; watch cost discipline in H2 .
- Strategic moat: Early achievement of SEA Change targets (ROIC and EBITDA per ALBD) signals structural margin uplift and better capital efficiency, supporting medium‑term thesis .
- Positioning: Strong bookings and record deposits ($8.53B) reduce revenue risk; catalysts include Celebration Key opening (July 2025), further debt refinancing, and potential additional rating upgrades .
Document sources: Q2 2025 8‑K press release and exhibits **[1125259_0000815097-25-000047_a20252qearningsrelease8-k.htm:0]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000047_a20252qearningsrelease8-k.htm:1]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000047_a20252qearningsrelease8-k.htm:2]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000047_a20252qearningsrelease8-k.htm:3]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000047_a20252qearningsrelease8-k.htm:4]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000047_a20252qearningsrelease8-k.htm:5]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000047_a20252qearningsrelease8-k.htm:6]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000047_a20252qearningsrelease8-k.htm:7]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000047_a20252qearningsrelease8-k.htm:8]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000047_a20252qearningsrelease8-k.htm:9]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000047_a20252qearningsrelease8-k.htm:10]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000047_a20252qearningsrelease8-k.htm:11]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000047_a20252qearningsrelease8-k.htm:12]**; Q1 2025 8‑K press release and exhibits **[1125259_0000815097-25-000019_a20251qearningsrelease8-k.htm:0]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000019_a20251qearningsrelease8-k.htm:1]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000019_a20251qearningsrelease8-k.htm:2]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000019_a20251qearningsrelease8-k.htm:3]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000019_a20251qearningsrelease8-k.htm:4]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000019_a20251qearningsrelease8-k.htm:5]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000019_a20251qearningsrelease8-k.htm:6]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000019_a20251qearningsrelease8-k.htm:7]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000019_a20251qearningsrelease8-k.htm:8]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000019_a20251qearningsrelease8-k.htm:9]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000019_a20251qearningsrelease8-k.htm:10]** **[1125259_0000815097-25-000019_a20251qearningsrelease8-k.htm:11]**; Q4 2024 8‑K press release and exhibits **[1125259_0000815097-24-000078_a20244qearningsrelease8-k.htm:0]** **[1125259_0000815097-24-000078_a20244qearningsrelease8-k.htm:1]** **[1125259_0000815097-24-000078_a20244qearningsrelease8-k.htm:2]** **[1125259_0000815097-24-000078_a20244qearningsrelease8-k.htm:3]** **[1125259_0000815097-24-000078_a20244qearningsrelease8-k.htm:4]** **[1125259_0000815097-24-000078_a20244qearningsrelease8-k.htm:5]** **[1125259_0000815097-24-000078_a20244qearningsrelease8-k.htm:6]** **[1125259_0000815097-24-000078_a20244qearningsrelease8-k.htm:7]** **[1125259_0000815097-24-000078_a20244qearningsrelease8-k.htm:8]** **[1125259_0000815097-24-000078_a20244qearningsrelease8-k.htm:9]** **[1125259_0000815097-24-000078_a20244qearningsrelease8-k.htm:10]** **[1125259_0000815097-24-000078_a20244qearningsrelease8-k.htm:11]** **[1125259_0000815097-24-000078_a20244qearningsrelease8-k.htm:12]** **[1125259_0000815097-24-000078_a20244qearningsrelease8-k.htm:13]** **[1125259_0000815097-24-000078_a20244qearningsrelease8-k.htm:14]** **[1125259_0000815097-24-000078_a20244qearningsrelease8-k.htm:15]**.
Estimates: Values retrieved from S&P Global (GetEstimates).