Carnival Expects Fuel Cost, Currency Headwinds in 2019

Miami-based cruise ship major Carnival Corporation expects its fiscal 2019 earnings to be hit by fuel cost and currency headwinds.

For the full year, Carnival Corp’s earnings guidance now reflects USD 155 million from fuel price and currency moving against the company. Operationally, the cruise major continues to expect revenues and adjusted earnings per share improvements in line with its December guidance.

“We expect adjusted earnings per share to be higher than the prior year, despite a USD 45 million year-over-year drag from currency and the price of fuel,” Arnold Donald, Carnival Corporation & plc President and Chief Executive Officer, said.

Carnival Corp explained that cumulative advanced bookings for the remainder of 2019 are currently ahead of the prior year at prices that are in line with the prior year on a comparable basis.

Based on current booking trends, the company continues to expect full year 2019 constant currency net cruise revenues to be up approximately 5.5 percent, with capacity growth of 4.6 percent, and net revenue yields in constant currency expected to be up approximately 1.0 percent compared to the prior year.

Carnival Corporation unveiled the lowered expectations as part of its first quarter earnings report. The company. During the three months ended February 28, 2019, the company’s net income reached USD 336 million, compared to a net income of USD 391 million recorded in the first quarter of 2018. Revenues for the first quarter of 2019 were USD 4.7 billion, higher than the USD 4.2 billion in the prior year.

For the second quarter of the year, the company expects constant currency net revenue to be in line with the prior year. Changes in fuel prices and currency exchange rates are expected to decrease earnings by USD 0.08 per share compared to the prior year. Based on these factors, the company expects adjusted earnings per share for the second quarter 2019 to be in the range of USD 0.56 to USD 0.60 versus 2018 adjusted earnings per share of USD 0.68.