Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-seven ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, twenty have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $34.9909.

Several equities analysts recently commented on CCL shares. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered shares of Carnival from a “market perform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Tigress Financial lifted their price target on shares of Carnival from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Carnival from $36.00 to $35.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Morgan Stanley raised Carnival from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $33.00 to $31.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on Carnival from $35.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Carnival

In other news, insider Bettina Alejandra Deynes sold 43,058 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.10, for a total transaction of $1,209,929.80. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 69,238 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,945,587.80. The trade was a 38.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 7.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its stake in Carnival by 5.1% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 112,167 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,191,000 after buying an additional 5,435 shares during the period. Great Lakes Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Carnival during the 1st quarter valued at $228,000. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in Carnival by 61.6% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 30,437 shares of the company’s stock worth $594,000 after purchasing an additional 11,601 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP increased its holdings in Carnival by 41.9% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 88,522 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,729,000 after purchasing an additional 26,141 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. raised its position in Carnival by 57.0% in the second quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 64,720 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,820,000 after purchasing an additional 23,484 shares during the period. 67.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Carnival News

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Carnival announced a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, which likely boosted investor confidence by signaling management’s commitment to returning cash to shareholders. Why Carnival (CCL) Stock Is Up Today
• Positive Sentiment: The company unveiled Carnival Destiny, the first ship in its next-generation Ace Class, highlighting long-term growth plans and continued fleet investment that could support future revenue growth. CARNIVAL UNVEILS CARNIVAL DESTINY AS ITS NEWEST SHIP AND FIRST SHIP IN NEXT-GENERATION ACE CLASS
• Positive Sentiment: Cruise stocks broadly rebounded, with Carnival rising alongside Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean, suggesting sector-wide buying after a weak stretch. Norwegian Cruise Line Jumps 8%, Carnival Climbs 5%, Royal Caribbean Rises 3% in Cruise-Stock Rebound
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts at Zacks Research made mixed earnings estimate changes, including cuts to some future quarters and a slight reduction to FY2027 EPS, which keeps valuation expectations in flux.
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary from multiple outlets noted that Carnival still looks relatively inexpensive on earnings, but that upside is balanced by concerns about fuel costs, demand, and broader travel-sector uncertainty. Carnival (CCL) Stock Looks Discounted On Earnings But Weighed By Risks
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term pressure remains from oil-price fears and recent stock weakness, which could weigh on margins and keep investors cautious despite the company’s growth initiatives. Carnival (CCL) Slides On Oil Price Fears, Is It 28% Undervalued?

Carnival Trading Up 0.4%

NYSE:CCL traded up $0.10 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $26.82. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 12,434,273 shares, compared to its average volume of 23,289,002. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $27.43 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $28.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 0.33 and a quick ratio of 0.29. Carnival has a twelve month low of $23.45 and a twelve month high of $34.03. The stock has a market cap of $36.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 2.32.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 23rd. The company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $6.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.69 billion. Carnival had a net margin of 11.24% and a return on equity of 26.11%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.35 EPS. Carnival has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.220 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.350-1.350 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Carnival will post 2.23 EPS for the current year.

Carnival Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 7th will be issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 7th. Carnival’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.03%.

Carnival Company Profile

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.