With all of Carnival's (CCL) deserved bad publicity, I am surprised that both Royal Caribbean (RCL) and Carnival, based on consensus EPS estimates for 2014, discount only 3% five-year EPS growth rates -- albeit I have a 7% risk discount for Royal and a lower 6% risk discount for the "higher quality" Carnival, which at this point can be considered higher quality solely on its stronger balance sheet.
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With the present federal administration, I would not expect to see an economic recovery through the end of Obama's term. Hence, a 2% GDP growth and 2% inflation for 4% nominal GDP seems likely. Cruising expenditures in the US should only do a 1.25 to 1.5 multiple of that growth, down from 2 to 1 in the industry's growth years. That implies a top line of 5-6% revenue growth for the industry. If I assume that fuel will grow at approximately the same rate, and that third world labor costs grow at the same 5-6% (for people on these ships who earn substantially above what they would in their home countries), margins will not change because of these factors. Ship capacity should grow 2-3%, implying some very slow margin strengthening over the next three to five years. That could result in the compound average growth rate of EPS being in the 6-7% range.
A 6-7% growth rate would -- in my three-stage EPS growth model, with a 4.1% risk free rate (long T- bond plus 1%) -- result in deserved prices of $37 - $39 for Royal Caribbean, 13-17% appreciation for what I would call a base outcome. Because Royal has no sizable capacity additions coming, debt is being rapidly paid down and the 7% risk discount required by investors should be approaching Carnival's 6% over the next three to four years. A 6.5% risk discount implies $40; a 6% risk discount implies $43.
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That was my thinking post Costa Concordia's running aground, but before the Carnival Triumph, Elation, Legend, and Dream incidents. Yes, Carnival has more ships than other cruise lines, but the number and quick succession of recent negative incidents say to me as an outsider that Carnival's operations have to be considered relatively poor.
Management has said that it will be spending between $200-300 million more per year on maintenance, as I read their comments. They also said that their fleet was aging, but that does not wash when the ships are depreciated on a 30-year life and most are still much younger.
Most sell-side analysts say that it will take a year or two for Carnival to regain its trendline normal earnings level, and that's before factoring in the cost of the additional maintenance. I disagree. I believe that there has just been too much publicity to overcome in the medium term at least. There are enough other options for cruisers.