Carnival (NYSE:CCL) and Lindblad Expeditions (NASDAQ:LIND) Head to Head Analysis

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) and Lindblad Expeditions (NASDAQ:LIND) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk, valuation, dividends and profitability.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

67.2% of Carnival shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 75.9% of Lindblad Expeditions shares are owned by institutional investors. 7.9% of Carnival shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 26.1% of Lindblad Expeditions shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Volatility and Risk

Carnival has a beta of 2.33, meaning that its share price is 133% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Lindblad Expeditions has a beta of 2.21, meaning that its share price is 121% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Carnival and Lindblad Expeditions’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Carnival	11.48%	26.92%	6.20%
Lindblad Expeditions	-2.86%	N/A	-0.44%

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Carnival and Lindblad Expeditions”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Carnival	$26.62 billion	1.21	$2.76 billion	$2.25	11.56
Lindblad Expeditions	$771.02 million	1.75	-$29.72 million	($0.54)	-38.09

Carnival has higher revenue and earnings than Lindblad Expeditions. Lindblad Expeditions is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Carnival, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings for Carnival and Lindblad Expeditions, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Carnival	0	6	19	0	2.76
Lindblad Expeditions	1	1	4	0	2.50

Carnival presently has a consensus price target of $34.13, suggesting a potential upside of 31.24%. Lindblad Expeditions has a consensus price target of $24.33, suggesting a potential upside of 18.30%. Given Carnival’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Carnival is more favorable than Lindblad Expeditions.

Summary

Carnival beats Lindblad Expeditions on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Carnival

Carnival Corp. engages in the operation of cruise ships. It operates through the following business segments: North America and Australia (NAA) Cruise, Europe and Asia (EA) Cruise Operations, Cruise Support, and Tour and Others. The North America and Australia (NAA) Cruise segment includes the Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, and Seabourn. The Europe and Asia (EA) Cruise Operations segment consists of AIDA, Costa, Cunard, and P&O Cruises (UK). The Cruise Support segment represents port destinations and private islands for the benefit of its cruise brands. The Tour and Other segment operates hotel and transportation operations of Holland America Princess Alaska Tours. The company was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Miami, FL.

About Lindblad Expeditions

Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. provides marine expedition adventures and travel experience worldwide. It operates through Lindblad and Land Experiences segment. Lindblad segment provides ship-based expeditions aboard customized, nimble, and intimately-scaled vessels, which offers up-close experiences in the planet's wild and remote places, and capitals of culture; and offers expedition ship which is equipped with state-of-the-art tools for in-depth exploration with infrastructure and ports, such as Antarctica and the Arctic, and places that accessed by a ship comprising Galápagos Islands, Alaska, Baja California's Sea of Cortez and Panama, and foster engagement activities. The Land Experiences segment comprises natural habitats, which provides over 100 different expedition itineraries in more than 45 countries across seven continents, with eco-conscious expeditions and nature-focused, and small-group tours including polar bear tours and bear adventure; and DuVine provides intimate group cycling and adventure tours around the world with local cycling experts as guides in local cultural, cuisine, and accommodations. This segment also offers off the beaten path including small group travel, led by local, and experienced guides with focus on wildlife, hiking national parks, and culture; and classical journey, a curated active small-group and private custom journeys centered around cinematic walks led by expert local guides over 50 countries across the world. In addition, it has an alliance with National Geographic Partners, LLC, which provides lecturers and National Geographic experts including photographers, marine biologists, writers, naturalists, field researchers, and film crews; and partnered with World Wildlife Fund to offer conservation travel. Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in New York, New York.