Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights: LendingTree, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line

Read MoreHide Full Article

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – July 25, 2024 – Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights LendingTree (TREE - Free Report) , Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL - Free Report) , Carnival Corp. (CCL - Free Report) and Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH - Free Report) .

2 Intriguing Stocks to Watch as Earnings Approach

Lackluster quarterly results from a few big tech names and other mega-cap stocks pulled markets down today. Still, a post-earnings drop is often seen as a buying opportunity for traders and longer-term investors alike.

While heightened market volatility can be nerve-wracking, a spike in either direction is not abnormal when companies report their earnings. That said, LendingTree and Royal Caribbean Cruises are two top-rated Zacks stocks that are very intriguing as their Q2 results approach on Thursday, July 25.

To that point, LendingTree and Royal Caribbean's stock appear to be poised for more upside but may be ideal buy the dip candidates on a selloff.

LendingTree's Q2 Expectations

Traders will certainly be watching LendingTree's earnings as its stock has continued a monstrous year-to-date rally after retaking its 50-day moving average at the beginning of the month.

The personalized loan comparison company is expected to post Q2 sales of $194.07 million, a 6% increase from the prior-year quarter. In what is a tougher-to-compete-against period, LendingTree's Q2 EPS is projected to fall to $0.73 versus $1.14 per share a year ago.

However, the Zacks ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) indicates LendingTree could widely surpass earnings expectations with the Most Accurate Estimate having Q2 EPS slated at $1.05 and 44% above the Zacks Consensus. Such a significant earnings beat could certainly extend the rally in TREE with it noteworthy that LendingTree has surpassed bottom line expectations for 14 consecutive quarters dating back to February of 2021.

Royal Caribbean's Q2 Expectations

The broader cruise industry has continued to strengthen since the pandemic and Royal Caribbean's profitability stands out amongst other peers such as Carnival Corp. and Norwegian Cruise Line.

Royal Caribbean's Q2 sales are expected to increase 13% to $4 billion with EPS thought to have soared 52% to $2.77 compared to $1.82 a share in the comparative quarter. Plus, Royal Caribbean has exceeded earnings expectations for 9 consecutive quarters.

Recent Performance

Topping the broader market, LendingTree's stock has skyrocketed over +70% YTD with Royal Caribbean shares up nearly +30% to largely outperform the S&P 500's +17%. The anticipation of high double-digit EPS growth for fiscal 2024 and FY25 has been the primary catalyst for LendingTree and Royal Caribbean's stock.

Bottom Line

Ahead of their Q2 reports, LendingTree's stock boasts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) with Royal Caribbean sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). It would be no surprise if these top-rated stocks kept rising if they could reach or exceed their quarterly expectations and offer positive guidance that reconfirms their attractive growth trajectories.

Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?

Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.0 average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +44.9%, +48.4% and +55.2% per year.

Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.

See Stocks Free >>

Media Contact

Zacks Investment Research

800-767-3771 ext. 9339

support@zacks.com

https://www.zacks.com

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

Published in