Latest news with #Bahamas
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
CCL vs. RCL: Which Cruise Line Stock is the Smarter Buy Right Now?
As consumer appetite for experiential travel continues to rebound, cruise operators like Carnival Corporation & plc CCL and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. RCL are vying for investor attention with strong brand portfolios and improving fundamentals. Both companies are capitalizing on elevated demand and pricing power, setting them up for differences in strategy, innovation, and operational discipline raise the question: which cruise stock stands out more favorably in the current climate?Let's see how these two cruise giants stack up. Carnival is leveraging its global scale and multi-brand strategy to deliver robust yield growth and operational momentum. Carnival recently exceeded its 2026 targets — 50% growth in EBITDA per berth and a 12% return on invested capital — 18 months ahead of schedule. It achieved its highest EBITDA margin in nearly two decades, supported by strong close-in ticket demand, onboard spending, and cost fiscal 2025, Carnival will debut Celebration Key, a flagship private Caribbean destination featuring the world's largest swim-up bar, expansive lagoons, and curated beach experiences. Additional upgrades to Half Moon Cay and Mahogany Bay (to be rebranded Isla Tropicale) further strengthen its 'Paradise Collection' strategy to attract and retain guests. Additionally, Carnival is revamping its fleet through the AIDA Evolution upgrade and moderate newbuild pipeline. It is also launching a new loyalty program — Carnival Rewards — in mid-2026, which ties benefits to overall spend and credit card use. This initiative, modeled after successful airline programs, is expected to boost guest engagement in the upcoming the financial side, Carnival refinanced $7 billion of debt so far in fiscal 2025 and improved its net debt-to-EBITDA ratio sequentially from 4.1x to 3.7x in the fiscal second quarter 2025. With limited new ship deliveries through 2029 and growing free cash flow, Carnival is focused on regaining investment-grade status while delivering long-term shareholder value. Royal Caribbean is executing on its 'Perfecta Performance' strategy by combining premium guest experiences, moderate capacity expansion, and disciplined cost management to drive strong financial growth. In the first quarter of 2025, the company reported yield growth of 5.6% and a 35% EBITDA margin — up 360 basis points year over year — fueled by exceptional close-in demand, pricing power, and elevated onboard spending. The company continues to expand its exclusive destination portfolio with the upcoming Royal Beach Club in Nassau, designed to complement its popular Perfect Day at CocoCay. The club will feature curated beach experiences, elevated dining, and expanded guest capacity, intended to deepen guest engagement and boost ancillary Caribbean's growing digital footprint is another key differentiator. Its mobile app, now widely adopted across the fleet, is driving higher levels of direct booking and pre-cruise purchases. Loyalty program integration and frictionless trip planning are central to the company's efforts to improve revenue capture and increase repeat the company may face near-term pressure related to ship deployment timing and elevated expenses tied to destination rollouts and dry dock activity. Cost growth is expected to vary across quarters, primarily influenced by the scheduling of dry docks, ship deliveries, and the ramp-up of expenses tied to the Costa Maya port acquisition and other destination investments. The second and third quarters are expected to have higher costs, with the third quarter particularly affected, facing a 280-basis-point impact from these timing-related factors. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Carnival's fiscal 2025 sales and earnings per share (EPS) suggests year-over-year increases of 5.4% and 38%, respectively. In the past 60 days, earnings estimates for fiscal 2025 have risen 3.8%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Royal Caribbean's 2025 sales and EPS suggests year-over-year increases of 9.4% and 30.7%, respectively. In the past 60 days, earnings estimates for 2025 have increased 6%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Carnival stock has rallied 31.7% in the past three months, significantly outpacing its industry and the S&P 500's rise of 15.8% and 10.1%, respectively. Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean shares have risen 42.6% in the same time. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Carnival is trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 12.92X, below the industry average of 18.59X over the last year. RCL's forward 12-month P/E multiple sits at 17.92X over the same time frame. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Based on short-term price targets offered by 23 analysts, Carnival's average price target represents an increase of 10.7% from the last closing price of $26.17. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Based on short-term price targets offered by 24 analysts, RCL's average price target represents a decline of 7.1% from the last closing price of $295.89. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Given their contrasting strategies, Carnival presents a more attractive near-term buying opportunity than Royal Caribbean. While RCL continues to deliver premium experiences and superior margins, it faces near-term cost pressures related to destination rollouts and dry dock activity. Carnival, on the other hand, is delivering operational efficiency and financial gains through disciplined execution, fleet upgrades, and destination-led brand differentiation. Its early achievement of long-term margin and sustainability targets, coupled with attractive valuation and rising earnings estimates, highlights a clear edge. With a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and momentum on its side, Carnival offers a compelling entry point for investors seeking near-term gains and long-term value. Meanwhile, RCL, carrying a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), may warrant a wait-and-see approach. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Carnival Corporation (CCL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Forbes
20 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Meet The Under 30 Founders Making Waves With A $8 Million Series A
Think this is nice? It's a version of the weekly Under 30 newsletter and would be even better in your inbox . courtesy of Coral Vita Nestled along the southern coast of Grand Bahama is the world's first commercial land-based coral farm for reef restoration, Coral Vita. Their facility is not just growing coral, but an entirely new industry. This month, Coral Vita closed an $8 million Series A round led by Builders Vision, bringing their total funding to $15 million. This new financing will go toward expansion in the Middle East—where they're currently designing the biggest coral farm in the world—as well as research and development initiatives. The reef restoration startup was founded in 2015 by Sam Teicher and Gator Halpern, who made the 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs list in 2019. While coral takes up less than 1% of the sea floor, it supports the livelihoods of approximately 1 billion people and generates $10 trillion per year by providing sites for biodiversity, tourism and medical innovation. Teicher says that we must start thinking of coral reefs as an infrastructure. But the world's already small supply of coral reefs is disappearing quickly due to climate change, ocean acidification and human activity. Coral Vita is on a mission to change that by selling restoration as a service to hotels, developers, governments and other entities who depend on the vast benefits of coral. Using the controlled environment at their farms to grow coral in months rather than decades, they're able to plant new coral back into degraded reefs. The startup has reached significant milestones such as winning Prince William's Earthshot prize of £1 million in 2021 and landing partnerships with nature-positive brands like Corona and Cariuma. 'While we have been banging the drum about reef restoration being a viable commercial industry for a long time, we finally turned a corner and started to see millions of dollars of contracts flow into doing reef restoration,' Halpern said. Teicher and Halpern met during graduate school at Yale University's School of Environment. After bonding over a shared love for the ocean, they grappled with how to make a meaningful impact in the blue economy beyond the traditional academic and NGO space. 'It felt like I was writing these papers that were the obituary of these ecosystems and not actually going out and actively trying to change that fate,' Halpern said. One day on a back porch in New Haven, Connecticut, Teicher and Halpern realized that focusing on revenue-generation could actually impact their environmental goals for the better. 'We are showcasing that 'for profit, for nature and for good' is a viable approach that we can do good and do well in,' Teicher said. The journey to this Series A funding has not come without setbacks. As an environmental startup, Coral Vita's success is vulnerable to circumstances out of their control. Hurricane Dorian, a category 5 storm, destroyed their entire coral farm in 2019. While the storm left devastating impacts, Teicher and Halpern were encouraged by how their regeneration efforts had already touched the local community. Coral reefs provide a natural seawall during tropical storms by breaking wave energy before the tides reach shore. 'We literally saw how healthy reefs saved lives in our area while a few miles away, where the reef was depleted, many lives were lost,' Halpern said. 'We decided that the only thing to do was double down on our commitment here in Grand Bahama to build our next iteration of the coral even bigger and better than the last.' Talk next week, Alexandra, Zoya and Alex P.S. welcome Alexandra, the Under 30 intern for the summer. She wrote this intro! Have any more tips for her? Reach her at ameier@ Forbes Top Creators: The borders between Creators and showbiz are blurring. Jake Shane, no. 37 on the Forbes Top Creators list. Photography by Cody Pickens for Forbes Last week, Forbes launched its fourth annual Top Creators list, highlighting the top earners across social media. Some content superstars returned, like MrBeast, who remains at No. 1 with $85 million in annual earnings, or no. 5 Alex Cooper, whose podcast empire bumped her earnings up to an estimated $32 million this year. Newcomers joined this year's list, too: Brit Steven Bartlett, No. 11 for his podcast The Diary of A CEO, is on track to expand his European fanbase to the U.S. (Check out more about his journey here, including why he's turned down $100 million deals.) And Wisdom Kaye—who just might be the chicest man on TikTok—came in at No. 48. See the full list here. Lister Lowdown -The ball is in Sequel's court. This week, the 30 Under 30 startup, founded by CEO Greta Meyer and CMO Amanda Calabrese, announced they're the official tampon sponsor of the Indiana Fever. It's part of a growing trend for women's teams to bring on women's health companies as sponsors: The New York Liberty announced a deal with feminine care company LOLA in April. In June, The Honey Pot was named exclusive body care partner of the Atlanta Dream, and Phoenix Mercury partnered with Aunt Flow. Read more here. -2024 Forbes Under 30 company Harvey AI, which builds custom AI assistants for law firms, this week announced a $300 million Series E that valued the startup at $5 billion. The news comes just four months after Harvey, which was founded by Winston Weinberg, was valued at $3 billion in a $300 million Series D led by Sequoia. This latest round was co-led by Coatue and Kleiner Perkins. - a transcription platform that automatically takes notes from meetings, this month announced it reached unicorn status with a $1 billion valuation. Cofounded by 2022 Under 30 listers Krish Ramineni and Sam Utodong, the valuation boost came from a tender offer as opposed to a new funding round (this means existing shares, usually from employees, were bought out from investors). Fireflies claims it has been profitable since 2023. On Our Radar -Looking to elevate your summer style? Subscription service Nuuly, from the creators of Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie, is disrupting the fashion rental market. Renters get their pick of six apparel pieces per month with their subscription and the flexibility to buy or return them. Nuuly's ability to obtain almost half of their inventory at cost from its sister companies is leading to substantial revenue and subscriber growth ( Yahoo Finance ). -The AI Revolution could mean trouble for your electricity bill this month. The sweeping spread of computing centers is putting a strain on the nation's power grid. The number of data centers in the U.S. doubled in the past three years, requiring 10 times the electrical power as traditional search engines. Electricity consumption is moving toward a record high and American taxpayers will pick up the tab, particularly in the Northeast ( CBS News) . -Time to BeReal… again. The photograph-in-the-moment social media app that launched in 2020 and went viral in 2022 has since seen declining in user engagement. But now, they're positioning themself for a comeback. Their tactic? Advertising across other apps owned by Voodoo Games (which acquired BeReal in 2024 for €500 million), tapping micro influencers at college campuses and sponsoring parties. ( Business Insider )
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Deported reality star pleads with Trump for 'second chance'
Former reality TV star Joe Giudice says he's done his time after being convicted and deported from the U.S. and is asking Donald Trump for a second chance so he can reunite with his daughters. Giudice, 53, was hit with a 41-month jail sentence in 2014 after being convicted of multiple counts of bankruptcy fraud and one of tax dodging. After being released, he was deported to his native Italy in 2019 and has been living in the Bahamas since 2021, where he is waging a legal campaign to be allowed back into the US. Amid the White House's push to rid the U.S. of illegal migrants, the ex-Real Housewives of New Jersey star pleaded his case to the president in an Instagram post to return to the country he grew up in on Thursday. 'I'm Joe Giudice. I served my time, and I've been deported from the U.S. for nearly a decade,' he wrote. 'I was raised in Jersey, I'm a father of four amazing daughters, and I just want to be allowed to visit them again. President Trump, I respect you and I'm asking for a second chance.' Giudice's former Real Housewives colleague Siggy Flicker, who Trump appointed to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council earlier this year, commented that she's working on it. U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said: 'The Giudices together deceived financial institutions with patently false loan applications; were dishonest when they sought the protection of the bankruptcy court and hid assets and income from the trustee; and Giuseppe [Joe] Giudice cheated the government by failing to pay taxes on years of significant income. When they pleaded guilty, both admitted swearing to statements they knew were lies. Prison is the appropriate penalty for these serious financial crimes.' Giudice said in 2023 that he still doesn't believe he did much wrong – and slammed the US for dumping him 'like a dog' in Italy. He said: 'I got thrown into a country that I knew nothing about. All right, basically, just dumped there like, like, like, I don't know, like, I guess a dog, you know what I mean. Not even a dog gets dumped like that. And, you know, thank God, Italy took me in and, and basically took care of me. You know, they actually treated me like a person, not like the US. The US treats you like garbage. I mean, they treat their own citizens like garbage. You know what? I mean, it's ridiculous the way they treat people there when you get involved in, you know, certain things like this.' An audibly angry Giudice also complained he would never have been charged with fraud in the Bahamas or Italy – and claimed murderers get treated better than fraudsters in the US. The dad-of-three continued: 'I mean, my charges don't even exist here. You know, tax things don't exist in The Bahamas. Tax things don't exist in, in Italy. You know what I mean, you know, you, you just don't go to jail for that stuff. You know what I mean, you get a fine, you get whatever.' 'But, I mean, you don't go to jail. You don't break your you know, they don't break families up in, you know, like they do over there. I mean, they throw people behind bars there for years for that stuff. You know what I mean? And it's ridiculous, you know what I mean? A fine, you know, a slap on a wrist, six months. You know, anything you do as a first offense should be more than a fine, not 15-years, or whatever the hell they give by, you know, for certain things like this, which I've seen them all in there.' 'You know what I mean? Who had 20 years. Who had 30 years. For tax things? You know what I mean? I'm not talking about, you kill somebody. Murderers get out before people like do tax frauds in the states. You know what I mean? First time, you should get a slap on a wrist, a fine. All right, take the money away, do whatever you gotta do. But, you know, to break up a family and, you know, destroy their lives over one mistake. I don't think it's fair.' Despite being furious over his jail sentence and deportation', Giudice said - as he did on Thursday - he hopes to overturn his deportation order and return to the US to be closer to his daughters: Gia, Milania, Audriana and Gabriella.
The Independent
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Disgraced and deported reality star begs Donald Trump for a ‘second chance'
A disgraced and deported reality TV personality has begged President Donald Trump to allow him back into the country following his deportation six years ago. Joe Giudice, 53, found fame as the husband of Teresa Giudice in The Real Housewives of New Jersey before being convicted on multiple counts of fraud and tax evasion in 2014. The husband and wife duo served 41 months and 15 months in prison, respectively. The RHONJ alum rose to national notoriety following his high-profile legal troubles and prison sentence, which culminated in his green card being revoked and his deportation from the U.S. in 2019 after his release. Giudice, an Italian-born construction worker who never became a U.S. citizen, made a direct plea to the president on Thursday evening in an attempt to return to the United States and visit his wife and four daughters. 'I'm Joe Giudice. I served my time, and I've been deported from the U.S. for nearly a decade,' Giudice, who lives in the Bahamas, wrote on Instagram. 'I was raised in Jersey, I'm a father of four amazing daughters, and I just want to be allowed to visit them again,' he added. Tagging the commander-in-chief and his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr's Instagram accounts, Giudice added: 'President Trump, I respect you and I'm asking for a second chance.' He included the hashtags '#PardonJoeGiudice' and '#SecondChances.' Giudice's family rallied around him, with his wife, Teresa, posting the folded hands emoji and a heart, while his daughters, Gia, 24, a reality star in her own right, and Audriana, 15, posted 'I love you.' Another comment that gained hundreds of likes read that if Trump 'can pardon the chrisleys he can pardon JOE!!!!' According to TMZ, which spoke with Giudice's immigration attorney Jessica Cadavid, he doesn't believe he'll ever be given permanent residence in the U.S. again. Giudice hopes to be able to visit the U.S. occasionally to see his family, which his lawyer deemed fair, as he wasn't convicted of a violent crime. Next steps, Giudice's lawyer said, will be to reach out to the Justice Department, not the White House. Giudice's appeal to Trump appears to be inspired by reality TV personalities Todd and Julie Chrisley, who received a presidential pardon late last month and were released from prison early. The couple went from the stars of 2014's Chrisley Knows Best to serving a combined 19-year prison sentence in under a decade after they were found guilty of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans in November 2022. Giudice recently praised their daughter, Savannah Chrisley, in a Fox News interview for having 'worked hard' to lobby the Trump administration to grant her parents clemency. The 27-year-old spoke at the Republican National Convention last July and lambasted a so-called 'two-faced justice system,' which she said had also ensnared the president.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joe Giudice Asks Trump for Presidential Pardon and Ability to Return to the U.S. 6 Years After He Was Deported
Joe Giudice is seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump The former Real Housewives of New Jersey cast member hopes to be granted American citizenship to be closer to his children The father of four and Bravo star was deported to his native Italy in 2019 after being indicted on federal fraud charges, but now lives in the BahamasJoe Giudice has a plea for President Donald Trump. The 53-year-old reality star, who was born in Italy but grew up in the U.S., is hoping the president, 79, can reunite him with his daughters by granting him a pardon. 'I'm Joe Giudice. I served my time, and I've been deported from the U.S. for nearly a decade,' the former Real Housewives of New Jersey cast member began as the caption to an Instagram post on Thursday, June 26. He continued, 'I was raised in Jersey, I'm a father of four amazing daughters, and I just want to be allowed to visit them again.' Giudice shares daughters Gia, Gabriella, Audriana and Milania with his ex-wife Teresa Giudice. All four of his girls appeared with him in the Instagram carousel, smiling and posing together for different photographs throughout the years. 'President Trump, I respect you and I'm asking for a second chance,' Joe concluded. Joe tagged both the president and Donald Trump Jr. in the post. 'If he can pardon the chrisleys he can pardon JOE!!!! ❤️❤️,' one person commented, referring to Chrisley Knows Best stars Todd Chrisley and his wife Julie Chrisley receiving presidential pardons from Trump. Teresa showed her support for Joe, writing, "🙏❤️." Joe and Teresa, 53, were indicted on federal fraud charges in 2013 and took turns serving time in prison. Teresa began with an 11-month jail sentence before Joe served 41 months and was later deported to his native Italy in 2019. Since then, he has relocated to the Bahamas. In May 2019, during Trump's first term as president, a source told PEOPLE that a pardon for Joe was not on Trump's radar. 'This has not reached the White House,' the source said. 'If it was worth it on the merits, this would be something, but just because [the Giudice family] is asking,' the source continued, adding, 'Thousands of people have through different means tried to bring different cases. The vast majority of them just don't warrant the decision.' Earlier this year, Joe revisited the possibility of Trump helping him with a pardon after Trump's reelection. "I got a lawyer working on something, but she's been working on it. Hasn't done anything yet. So I don't know. We'll see," Joe told Teresa during a January episode of her Turning The Tables podcast of his attempts to achieve American citizenship. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "I did get in front of the embassy and they denied me because I guess I'm a big criminal,' he added, saying the process took "not even five minutes." Later in their conversation, he added, "When I met Trump, I mean, he was very nice to me. I was very nice to him when we were on his show over there. I don't know. I mean, I think he should get me back." Read the original article on People
