Coronavirus has paralyzed much of the global economy. Nonessential businesses have closed in many places while restaurants, bars, and cafes have generally moved to a takeout/pickup only model in the United States. Pleasure travel has, of course, largely been eliminated as theme parks, cruise lines, casinos, and even many hotels have shut their doors until the pandemic passes.
It's a bleak time that has seen a number of companies watch their stock prices plummet. That's unfortunate (and understandable) but it's also a buying opportunity. These four brands have been hit hard, but they should all recover.
Starbucks is still open for delivery, drivethrough, and takeout. Image source: Starbucks.
1. Starbucks
Starbucks (SBUX 0.53%) has lost roughly half of its value. Shares were trading at around $64.85 intraday on March 24, a drop from the chain's 52-week high of $99.72. That has happened despite the fact that the coffee company has closed its dining rooms but is still doing a brisk drive-through, delivery, and curbside pickup business.
The cafe chain will likely report much lower sales for the quarter but once the pandemic passes customers will return. Starbucks sells affordable indulgences and people will be looking for that once they can safely go out again.
2. Walt Disney
The Mouse House has also lost roughly half of its value trading at $95.98 during the day on March 24, down from a 53-week high of $153.41. Walt Disney (DIS 0.16%) has been hit on multiple fronts. It has closed its theme parks, hotels, and shopping/entertainment complexes. The company also saw its film "Onward" flop at the box office due to being released right before theaters were shut down in the U.S.
Once coronavirus passes, however, people will come back to the company's theme parks and they will flock to movie theaters where Disney will have an embarrassment of riches in its release pipeline once theaters reopen. In addition, Disney has the advantage of having its Disney+ streaming service which will likely see a surge of signups.
3/4. Royal Caribbean and Carnival
Cruise ships have stopped sailing and both Royal Caribbean (RCL 1.23%) and Carnival (CCL -0.42%) have essentially seen revenue grind to a halt. Both companies currently say they plan to sail again in April but it's too soon to know if that will happen. That has, as you might imagine, saw shares in both companies lose much of their value.
These are dire times for both Royal Caribbean and Carnival. Both companies, however, should survive by increased borrowing, cutting costs, and delaying capital expenses. It's not a pretty picture at the moment but it seems likely that both will find a way to stay afloat even if they're not included in any federal bailout packages.
This won't be a quick turnaround. Prices for future cruises are very low even for the peak summer season and people may be slow to come back. Regular customers, however, like cruising (myself included) and will be the canaries in the coal mine that let the public know it's safe to come back.
Play the long game
Share prices tend to fall faster than they climb and it may take years for these companies -- the cruise lines especially to come al the way back. It's also hard to know where the bottom is and there may be further drops when all of these companies report earnings.
All four of these brands, however, have loyal followings. They were strong businesses rocked by a (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime crisis. Eventually, they will recover and even hit new heights.
