Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Carnival has a consensus analyst rating of “Moderate Buy”, with 20 buy ratings, 1 strong buy, and 6 hold ratings among 27 covering brokerages. The average 12-month price target is about $34.99.
• The company recently beat earnings expectations, reporting $0.41 EPS versus the $0.34 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 5.3% year over year to $6.66 billion. Carnival also reaffirmed guidance and continues to trade below its 1-year high.
• Carnival declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, implying a 2.2% annualized yield, and several institutional investors increased holdings. However, an insider also sold shares recently, and the stock remains volatile with high leverage and liquidity concerns.

Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-seven brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $34.9909.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Melius Research set a $36.00 target price on shares of Carnival in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Carnival from $36.00 to $35.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Susquehanna raised their price objective on shares of Carnival from $30.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Carnival from $35.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Carnival from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Bettina Alejandra Deynes sold 43,058 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the insider owned 69,238 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,945,587.80. This trade represents a 38.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 7.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CCL. Fulton Bank N.A. grew its holdings in shares of Carnival by 10.1% during the second quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 9,224 shares of the company's stock worth $264,000 after buying an additional 849 shares in the last quarter. Arista Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Carnival by 5.3% during the second quarter. Arista Wealth Management LLC now owns 14,244 shares of the company's stock valued at $407,000 after buying an additional 718 shares during the period. Everpar Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Carnival during the second quarter worth approximately $207,000. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Carnival in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $504,000. Finally, Czech National Bank grew its stake in Carnival by 16.9% in the 2nd quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 366,173 shares of the company's stock worth $10,462,000 after acquiring an additional 52,938 shares during the period. 67.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Carnival Price Performance

Carnival stock traded up $0.10 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $26.82. The stock had a trading volume of 12,434,273 shares, compared to its average volume of 23,289,002. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 0.33 and a quick ratio of 0.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $36.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.08, a PEG ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 2.32. Carnival has a 1-year low of $23.45 and a 1-year high of $34.03. The stock's fifty day moving average is $27.43 and its two-hundred day moving average is $28.40.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 23rd. The company reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.34 by $0.07. Carnival had a return on equity of 26.11% and a net margin of 11.24%.The business had revenue of $6.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.69 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.35 EPS. The business's revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Carnival has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.220 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.350-1.350 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Carnival will post 2.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Carnival Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared 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 of this dividend is Friday, August 7th. Carnival's payout ratio is 27.03%.

Trending Headlines about Carnival

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 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.

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