Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Shares Down 7.6% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Shares fell 7.6% intraday, trading as low as $23.47 and last at $23.82 on Monday with volume about 41% below the average session, following a prior close of $25.79.
• Analysts remain generally positive—MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with a consensus price target of $35.09 (one Strong Buy, 19 Buy, 8 Hold).
• Carnival recently beat quarterly EPS estimates ($0.34 vs. $0.25), set FY‑2026 guidance at 2.48 EPS, pays a $0.15 quarterly dividend (2.4% yield), but carries a notable debt load (debt‑to‑equity ~1.96).

Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL - Get Free Report) shares traded down 7.6% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $23.47 and last traded at $23.82. 12,515,803 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 41% from the average session volume of 21,107,791 shares. The stock had previously closed at $25.79.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on CCL shares. William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Carnival in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Carnival from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Carnival from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Carnival from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Carnival from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $35.09.

Carnival Stock Down 3.5%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 0.32. The company has a market cap of $30.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.45, a P/E/G ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 2.42. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $30.73 and a 200 day moving average price of $29.50.

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

Carnival Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. Carnival's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.00%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. CVA Family Office LLC grew its holdings 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 worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 350 shares during the last quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group lifted its holdings in shares of Carnival by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group now owns 12,383 shares of the company's stock valued at $378,000 after purchasing an additional 354 shares during the last quarter. Triad Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Carnival by 2.1% in the 4th 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 period. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI increased its stake in Carnival by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI now owns 10,540 shares of the company's stock worth $322,000 after purchasing an additional 358 shares in the last quarter. Finally, StoneX Group Inc. increased its stake in Carnival by 4.9% in the 4th quarter. StoneX Group Inc. now owns 7,935 shares of the company's stock worth $242,000 after purchasing an additional 368 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.19% of the company's stock.

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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