Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Cut to “Hold” at Zacks Research

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) was downgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts also recently commented on CCL. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Carnival in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Morgan Stanley set a $33.00 price objective on shares of Carnival in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Carnival from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 31st. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Carnival from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on Carnival from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $35.09.

Carnival Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CCL opened at $26.16 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.08, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 2.42. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $30.55 and its 200-day moving average is $29.44. Carnival has a twelve month low of $15.07 and a twelve month high of $34.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, December 19th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.25 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $6.33 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.38 billion. Carnival had a return on equity of 28.39% and a net margin of 10.37%.Carnival’s revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.14 earnings per share. Carnival has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.170-0.170 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 2.480-2.48 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Carnival will post 1.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Carnival

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CVA Family Office LLC lifted its stake in shares of Carnival by 15.6% in the 4th quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 2,597 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after acquiring an additional 350 shares during the last quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group increased its stake in Carnival by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group now owns 12,383 shares of the company’s stock worth $378,000 after purchasing an additional 354 shares during the period. Triad Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in Carnival by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. Triad Wealth Partners LLC now owns 17,464 shares of the company’s stock valued at $533,000 after purchasing an additional 358 shares during the last quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI boosted its stake in shares of Carnival by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI now owns 10,540 shares of the company’s stock valued at $322,000 after purchasing an additional 358 shares during the period. Finally, StoneX Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Carnival by 4.9% in the fourth quarter. StoneX Group Inc. now owns 7,935 shares of the company’s stock worth $242,000 after purchasing an additional 368 shares during the last quarter. 67.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Carnival News

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Carnival’s recent results and guidance still provide a near-term fundamental buffer — the company beat Q4 EPS and has FY2026 EPS guidance, supporting the bull case that the business is profitable and cash-generative even as the stock falls.
• Positive Sentiment: Product/marketing lift — Princess Cruises (part of Carnival’s portfolio) announced a 2028 115‑day World Cruise, which shows continued willingness to expand itineraries and upsell premium itineraries that can support revenue per passenger. Princess Cruises Announces 2028 World Cruise
• Neutral Sentiment: Index/ownership context — Carnival’s presence in broad funds (S&P 500 exposure) means passive flows will matter; that can both cushion and amplify moves depending on ETF flows. Carnival Corporation Hospitality Travel Presence In S&P 500 Fund
• Neutral Sentiment: Some investors view the share weakness as a buying opportunity amid broader market selling; media pieces highlighting “buy” ideas may attract value-focused buying but won’t offset immediate macro-driven selling. Market Crash: 3 Stocks I’d Buy Without Hesitation
• Negative Sentiment: Unhedged fuel exposure — Carnival does not hedge fuel needs at scale, so the recent oil spike directly raises fuel expense risk and compresses margins relative to peers that hedge. This is the primary driver of today’s selloff. Carnival (CCL) Is Down 9.4% After Oil Shock Exposes Unhedged Fuel Costs
• Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical demand risk and sector contagion — reporting notes that cruising and travel sentiment softened after renewed Middle East tensions, which can reduce bookings or pricing power and hit sector multiples. ‘Cruising used to feel special.’ Cruise lines were struggling even before the Iran conflict hurt stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term volatility and heavy selling — multiple market reports show the stock being hammered on higher volume as investors price in fuel and margin risk; Carnival’s leverage and low current ratio increase sensitivity to profit shocks. Why Carnival Corporation & plc’s (CCL) Stock Is Down 7.52%

About Carnival

Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL) is a global cruise operator that provides leisure travel services through a portfolio of passenger cruise brands. The company’s core business is operating cruise ships that offer multi-night voyages and associated vacation services, including onboard accommodations, dining, entertainment, spa and wellness offerings, casinos, youth programs, and organized shore excursions. Carnival markets cruise vacations to a broad range of consumers, from value-focused travelers to premium and luxury segments, through differentiated brand positioning and onboard experiences.

Its operating structure comprises multiple well-known cruise brands that target distinct geographic and demographic markets.