tumbles

Is Carnival (CCL -1.44%) (CUK -1.65%) stock’s run finally over? The cruise industry leader has made an incredible comeback after falling off a cliff when the pandemic started. It’s back to business and its usual, sales-generating self, with sky-high demand and record operating profits.

The stock price has matched its ascent, and Carnival stock is up 270% over the past three years. It has required a good amount of confidence from investors to stay with it over this time, but it’s paid off. However, after the most recent earnings results, the stock has started to drop again. Is this a buying opportunity? Wall Street analysts say yes. Are they right?

Image source: Carnival.

Endless seas, endless demand

Carnival is the largest cruise operator in the world, with 90 ships across its portfolio of brands, which includes Princess, Holland, Aida, and others. Demand is outstripping capacity, and it’s ordering more ships to handle all of the people who want to take a historic trip on a luxury liner.

It’s also working hard to generate that demand, with many new features and destinations to attract new and repeat business. In July, it opened Celebration Key, a Caribbean asset that’s exclusive to Carnival travelers. It’s keeping busy there, and management expects it to have visitors nearly every day this year, with two ships in port 85% of the time. It’s getting ready to launch or expand several other exclusive Caribbean assets.

Management is moving ships to where demand is highest, and it already has plans in the works to increase capacity in these locations for the 2027 and 2028 sailing seasons. It’s opened up bookings for new options in South Florida and Texas, and it’s opening new home ports in Norfolk, Virginia and Baltimore, Maryland. It also announced its first-ever dedicated Hawaii series sailing from California.

There’s incredible momentum at Carnival. Almost half of 2026 is already on the books, and in the U.S. and Europe, ticket prices are at historic highs. Occupancy trends remain at historical highs as well.

Are new problems emerging?

For all intensive purposes, Carnival’s fiscal third-quarter (ended Aug. 31) earnings were phenomenal. It beat guidance across metrics, and it reported its highest-ever quarterly adjusted net income at $2 billion. It raised full-year guidance across metrics as well, and this was the third time this year that it did so.

Other positive news is that as interest rates go down, it’s paying off its high debt and refinancing at better rates, saving millions in interest expense.

Despite the wins in basically every area, Carnival tumbled after the report, and it’s still falling, down 7% since the results were released.

It could be tied to the remaining debt of $26.5 billion or to the slowing down of some year-over-year increases. Revenue, for example, increased only 4% from last year. The market may also not have liked Carnival’s plan to convert some of its debt into stock, which dilutes the current outstanding shares. Another likely explanation is that crude oil prices rose on the day of the report, and all of the major cruise stocks fell.

Go with Wall Street

Wall Street sees this opportunity and says go for it. Of covering analysts, 73% call it a buy, with an average price target of 27% over the next 12 to 18 months and a high of 50%.

Investors should always take Wall Street’s approach with a grain of salt and dig further. But in this case, so long as you aren’t totally risk averse and you have a long-term investing timeline, I think Wall Street is on the money here. Carnival has demonstrated strong management, resilience, and cost efficiency, and it’s investing in its future. Keep in mind that you can’t time the market, and the stock could continue to drop before getting back up again, but this looks like an opportunity to buy Carnival stock on the dip.

By&nbspAP with Eleanor Butler

Published on
08/08/2025 – 9:20 GMT+2

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Intel shares slumped on Thursday after President Donald Trump said in a social media post that the chipmaker’s CEO needed to resign.

“The CEO of Intel is highly conflicted and must resign, immediately,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “There is no other solution to this problem. Thank you for your attention to this problem!”

Trump made the post after Senator Tom Cotton sent a letter to Intel Chairman Frank Yeary, expressing concern over CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s investments and ties to semiconductor firms that are reportedly linked to the Chinese Communist Party and the People’s Liberation Army. Cotton asked the board whether Tan had divested his interests in these companies to eliminate any conflicts of interest.

It’s not immediately clear if Tan, who took over as Intel’s CEO in March, has done so.

In a statement, Intel said it was “deeply committed to advancing US national and economic security interests”. The firm said it was making “significant investments aligned with the President’s America First agenda”.

Cotton’s allegations

“In March 2025, Intel appointed Lip-Bu Tan as its new CEO,” Cotton wrote in the letter. “Mr. Tan reportedly controls dozens of Chinese companies and has a stake in hundreds of Chinese advanced-manufacturing and chip firms. At least eight of these companies reportedly have ties to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.”

Cotton specifically called out Tan’s recent leadership of Cadence Design Systems in the letter. According to the US Department of Justice, Cadence, agreed in July to plead guilty to resolve charges that it violated export controls rules to sell hardware and software to China’s National University of Defense Technology, which is linked to the Chinese military.

Tan was the CEO of Cadence when the company violated the rules between 2015 and 2021.

The US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security also fined Cadence $95 million for the same breaches, saying Cadence admitted that “employees of its Chinese subsidiary knowingly transferred sensitive US technology to entities that develop supercomputers in support of China’s military modernisation and nuclear weapons programs.”

Cadence did not immediately respond to AP requests.

The digital race

Tan previously launched the venture capital firm Walden International in 1987 to focus on funding tech start-ups, including chip makers.

China’s state media has described Tan as “actively” devoted to Chinese and Asian markets, having invested not only in the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, but also China’s state-owned enterprise SMIC, which seeks to advance China’s chipmaking capabilities.

The demands made by Trump and Cotton come as economic and political rivalries between the US and China increasingly focus on the competition over chips, AI and other digital technologies that experts say will shape future economies and military conflicts.

Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has raised concerns that Chinese spies could be working at tech companies and defence contractors, using their positions to steal secrets or plant digital backdoors that give China access to classified systems and networks.

On Thursday the Arkansas Republican wrote to the Department of Defense, urging Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to ban all non-US citizens from jobs allowing them to access DoD networks. He has also demanded an investigation into Chinese citizens working for defence contractors.

“The US government recognises that China’s cyber capabilities pose one of the most aggressive and dangerous threats to the United States, as evidenced by infiltration of our critical infrastructure, telecommunications networks, and supply chains,” Cotton wrote in an earlier letter, calling on the Pentagon to conduct the investigation.

National security officials have linked China’s government to hacking campaigns targeting prominent Americans and critical US systems.

“US companies who receive government grants should be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars and adhere to strict security regulations,” Cotton wrote on the social platform X.

Playing catch-up

Intel had been a beneficiary of the Biden administration’s CHIPS Act, receiving more than $8 billion (€6.9bn) in federal funding to build computer chip plants around the country.

Shares of the California company slid 3.5%, while markets, particularly the tech-heavy Nasdaq, gained ground.

Founded in 1968 at the start of the PC revolution, Intel missed the technological shift to mobile computing triggered by Apple’s 2007 release of the iPhone, and it has lagged behind more nimble chipmakers. Intel’s troubles have been magnified since the advent of artificial intelligence — a booming field where the chips made by once-smaller rival Nvidia have become tech’s hottest commodity.

Intel is shedding thousands of workers and cutting expenses, including some domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities, as Tan tries to revive the fortunes of the struggling chipmaker.

Justin Fletcher has been a staple of children’s television for well over two decades, but away from the bright lights and cameras, the much-loved TV star keeps his private life out of the spotlight

There’s not a tot across the nation who wouldn’t recognise Mr Tumble, having entertained and assisted countless children over the years.

Despite his immense popularity among young viewers due to his work on CBeebies and his sell-out tours across the country, little is known about television personality Justin Fletcher when he’s off duty.

In fact, the highly acclaimed star, who was honoured with an MBE by the late Queen Elizabeth II, generally keeps his personal life out of the spotlight, although he has occasionally offered glimpses into his home life and upbringing.

As a youngster, Justin frequently moved around with his parents due to his father’s successful career as a music writer, which often necessitated relocation and brought some very famous faces to their family home.

The beloved TV personality is actually the second oldest of five siblings – with a 12-year age gap between him and his youngest sibling – and Justin once told Metro: “There was always someone to play games with while we were growing up. My dad is a songwriter and my mum was a housewife,” reports Surrey Live.

At a tender age, the CBeebies star confided in his father, Guy Fletcher, expressing his desire to pursue acting and further his drama studies. His father warned him of the challenges he would face in the industry but gave him his “full support”, something Justin continues to appreciate to this day.

Net Worth

The 54 year old entertainer has been the face of popular CBeebies shows like Gigglebiz and Justin’s House. However, his most notable achievement is the programme Something Special, specifically designed to assist children with communication by integrating Makaton signs, speech and symbols throughout.

Having been a hit on children’s TV for over two decades, it’s no surprise that his endearing characters have evolved into a multi-million-pound industry.

Past reports suggest that his Something Special DVD sold over 100,000 copies, raking in more than £1 million, and an accompanying magazine generated a monthly income of £180,000. As a result, it’s estimated that his net worth is around £1.5 million.

Stepping down from BBC role

Earlier this year, the television legend shocked fans when he announced he was stepping back from his proudest creation, Something Special, confirming he was passing the baton to three other presenters.

After an impressive 22-year stint, during which the programme produced 12 series and five specials, Justin decided it was time to hand over the reins to TV stars Maddie Moate, Ben Cajee, and George Webster, who confirmed the news on social media.

Relationship status and plans for starting a family

The Bafta Award-winner, who voiced beloved characters such as Doodle and Jake in Tweenies, Shaun the Sheep and Harold from Thomas the Tank Engine, has dedicated his life to children’s TV, so much so, that he’s been too busy for romance.

Back in 2012, kids’ TV favourite Justin Fletcher, known to many as Mr Tumble, confided in The Mirror about the numerous romantic proposals he’d received from enthusiastic mums writing to him.

He spilled to the publication: “I have had emails,” and revealed his bachelor status with: “I’m not married, live alone and have been single for a while now because I’ve been a workaholic filming Something Special, Justin’s House and Gigglebiz.”

Although his diary’s chock-a-block with showbiz commitments, Justin has got his heart set on fatherhood, sharing with the outlet his aspiration: “I do want to free up some time for myself and my family. I would love to have children so need to find someone who likes kids. A couple of kids would be lovely.”

He echoed this sentiment to the Metro in 2013, saying: “I’d love to have a family of my own in the future – I’d like to do that in the next few years but, at the moment, I’m producing three TV shows and do live tours. I can’t keep doing this forever but if I finished next week, I’d feel I’d achieved a lot.”

Famous father

Justin isn’t just any entertainer; he’s got showbiz in his blood, being the son of legendary songwriter Guy Fletcher, whose tunes graced the repertoires of icons like Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, and Joe Cocker.

Chatting with BBC 6 Music’s Chris Hawkins, Justin opened up about his musically rich upbringing and even revealed that his beloved character Mr ‘Cliff’ Tumble is an homage to Sir Cliff Richard.

He shared: “I was always brought up around musicians and we had a recording studio built onto the house. My character Cliff Tumble is a homage to Sir Cliff, who I’ve met a lot and is lovely, very charming.

“Dad wrote his Eurovision entry Power to All Our Friends. The biggest hit he wrote for Elvis was Just Pretend, which he used to perform in his Vegas shows. Pretty cool, really,” Justin remarked.

Something Special is available to stream on BBC iPlayer