Shares of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.
NCLH,
jumped 6.6% in premarket trading Tuesday, after the cruise operator reported a wider-than-expected fourth-quarter loss, but expects a surprise profit for the current quarter amid continued “healthy consumer demand” and a record booked position and pricing. Net losses for the quarter to Dec. 31 narrowed to $106.5 million, or 25 cents a share, from $482.5 million, or $1.14 a share, in the year-ago period. Excluding nonrecurring items, the adjusted per-share loss of 18 cents compares with the FactSet loss consensus of 12 cents. Revenue grew 30.8% to $1.99 billion, above the FactSet consensus of $1.97 billion, as passenger ticket revenue increased 31.8% to $1.33 billion and onboard and other revenue rose 28.7% to $653.4 million. For the year, occupancy of 102.9% compared with guidance of 102.6%. For the first quarter, the company said it expects adjusted EPS of 12 cents, while the FactSet consensus is for a loss of 20 cents. The stock has gained 10.8% over the past three months through Monday, while the S&P 500
SPX,
has advanced 11.4%.
