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In the realm of business, three major players - Amazon, e.l.f. Beauty, and Carnival Corporation - have shown varying degrees of success in their respective fields.
Amazon, the leading name in e-commerce and cloud computing, continues to demonstrate solid growth potential. Despite a slight dip in its stock price following cautious guidance, the tech giant is expected to see a 10% to 13% increase in net sales for Q3 2025, reaching between $174 billion and $179.5 billion. Although operating income is forecasted to be slightly lower compared to the prior year period, analysts remain optimistic about Amazon's longer-term growth, with earnings per share (EPS) estimates around $6.3 for the full year and a positive "Outperform" rating with a price target near $250 per share[1][3][5].
Meanwhile, e.l.f. Beauty reported continued growth with a 9% increase in net sales for the quarter ending June 30, 2025, reaching $353.7 million. This marks their 26th consecutive quarter of growth, signaling sustained momentum and expansion in their market segment. The cosmetics company has also made strategic acquisitions, such as HRBeauty LLC and luxury cosmetics brand Rhode, which may strengthen their product portfolio and growth prospects further[2].
However, Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise operator, appears to be facing short-term headwinds. Although Carnival's adjusted EPS were $0.35 in the 2025 fiscal second quarter, crushing Wall Street expectations of $0.24, and revenue increased 9% year over year, a noted decline in net sales by about 0.9% year-over-year and decreases in operating income suggest challenges impacting Carnival, possibly related to market conditions or operational factors as of mid-2025[4]. The cruise line operator's stock remains down due to the high debt it took on during the pandemic shutdown.
Despite these challenges, Carnival's strong performance and continued demand suggest that it's likely to hit the next rung soon, causing the price to jump. e.l.f. Beauty, on the other hand, is the favored cosmetics brand among a younger generation of shoppers and holds the top company position in the mass color cosmetics unit share and is in second place in dollar share[6].
Amazon's e-commerce business is the largest of its kind, commanding about 40% of the U.S. market. The company also has a significant advantage due to its leading position, retaining talented personnel and having leverage with suppliers. Amazon is also investing heavily in AI, with over $100 billion allocated for developments[7].
In summary, Amazon and e.l.f. Beauty exhibit positive growth trajectories and stable financial positions, while Carnival Corporation appears to be facing short-term headwinds with declines in sales and profits reported prior to Q3 2025.
[1] Amazon Q3 2025 Guidance: What Analysts are Saying (CNBC, 2025) [2] e.l.f. Beauty Acquires HRBeauty LLC (PR Newswire, 2025) [3] Amazon Stock Dips After Cautious Guidance (The Wall Street Journal, 2025) [4] Carnival Corporation's Q2 2025 Financial Results (Carnival Corporation Press Release, 2025) [5] Amazon's Q3 2025 Earnings: What to Expect (Seeking Alpha, 2025) [6] e.l.f. Beauty's Market Position (Statista, 2025) [7] Amazon's $100 Billion AI Investment (TechCrunch, 2025)
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