&nbsp; <div class="ar">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. <p>OVERVIEW: Spiking oil prices and crimped consumer spending are the two key issues facing Carnival and other cruise operators. </p><p>To contend with the record oil prices, Carnival increased its passenger fuel supplement for a second time to $9 from $7 per person per day for the first two people in a cabin. The charge was boosted to $4 from $2 per day for the third, fourth and fifth guests in each cabin. Carnival raised the per-person supplement to $7 from $5 in April. </p><p>However, Carnival agreed to give $40 million in refunds to customers who were assessed a fuel surcharge after they booked their trips. </p><p>BY THE NUMBERS: In March, Carnival predicted second-quarter earnings between 42 cents and 44 cents per share, down from 48 cents per share in 2007. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial forecast quarterly earnings of 42 cents per share on revenue of $3.33 billion. </p><p>ANALYST TAKE: Analysts generally expect Carnival to report net revenue yield in line with expectations, although higher fuel prices are expected to offset those gains. On Tuesday, Lehman Brothers analyst Felicia Hendrix noted that fuel prices have spiked 33 percent since the company provided its second-quarter guidance. </p><p>Yields are a key profitability gauge that measure net income earned from passengers per day from cruise tickets and onboard sales. </p><p>Analysts note that a study by the Cruise Lines International Association showed that consumer interest in cruising remains strong despite pressure on travel. </p><p>Goldman Sachs analyst Steven Kent said the company may maintain full-year net revenue yield guidance, but is likely to lower its earnings estimates. </p><p>However, Raymond James &amp; Associates analyst Joseph Hovorka cut his rating on Carnival to &quot;Market Perform&quot; from &quot;Strong Buy&quot; on Tuesday. in part on his expectation that booking and pricing are both weakening for the industry. </p><p>WHAT'S AHEAD: &quot;We expect that second-quarter results will mostly be overlooked as investors will focus on management's discussion regarding the current booking environment,&quot; said Stifel Nicolaus &amp; Co. analyst Steven Wieczynski. In March, Carnival said advance bookings for the rest of the year were ahead of 2007 in occupancy and pricing. </p><p>STOCK PERFORMANCE: Carnival's stock, which traded between $36.10 and $43.54 during the second quarter, ultimately gained just 2 percent during the period. The stock finished Monday's trading at $36.22.</p></div>