Earnings Preview: Carnival Corp.

KRISTEN A. LEE

NEW YORK (AP) — Carnival Corp., the world's largest cruise operator, reports its fiscal second-quarter results on Thursday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period.

OVERVIEW: Consumer confidence rose during Carnival's fiscal second quarter, and investors hope that improved sentiment translated into higher cruise fares.

As vacation spending dropped in late 2008, Carnival and rival Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. were forced to slash prices to fill their ships. Analysts and investors will look for signs that prices regained some ground during the second quarter. ...