Carnival Corporation $CCL Shares Purchased by QRG Capital Management Inc.

Key Points

• QRG Capital Management increased its stake in Carnival by 14.5% in the first quarter, buying an additional 53,086 shares and bringing its total holding to 418,642 shares worth about $10.8 million.
• Carnival reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings, with EPS of $0.41 versus the $0.34 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 5.3% year over year to $6.66 billion.
• Wall Street remains generally positive on the stock, with analysts maintaining a Moderate Buy rating and an average price target of $35.23; Carnival also paid a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, or $0.60 annually.

QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its position in Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL - Free Report) by 14.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 418,642 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 53,086 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Carnival were worth $10,834,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Swedbank AB raised its stake in shares of Carnival by 10.0% in the 4th quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 519,939 shares of the company's stock valued at $15,879,000 after purchasing an additional 47,070 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Carnival by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 128,133,282 shares of the company's stock worth $3,913,190,000 after acquiring an additional 368,445 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its position in shares of Carnival by 5.6% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,774,765 shares of the company's stock worth $51,867,000 after acquiring an additional 93,565 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its holdings in shares of Carnival by 42.8% in the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,126,893 shares of the company's stock valued at $65,487,000 after acquiring an additional 637,605 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Carnival by 5.1% in the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 2,252,014 shares of the company's stock valued at $69,632,000 after acquiring an additional 109,474 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.19% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Carnival news, insider Bettina Alejandra Deynes sold 43,058 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.10, for a total value of $1,209,929.80. Following the sale, the insider owned 69,238 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,945,587.80. This trade represents a 38.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 7.90% of the company's stock.

Carnival Price Performance

Shares of NYSE CCL opened at $27.95 on Friday. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $38.29 billion, a PE ratio of 12.59, a P/E/G ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 2.32. Carnival Corporation has a 1-year low of $23.45 and a 1-year high of $34.03. The business's fifty day moving average price is $27.41 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $28.47.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 23rd. The company reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.35 earnings per share. 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, research analysts expect that Carnival Corporation will post 2.22 EPS for the current year.

Carnival Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 18th were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 18th. Carnival's payout ratio is presently 27.03%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CCL has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Carnival from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Carnival from $36.00 to $35.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Susquehanna raised their price target on shares of Carnival from $30.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Carnival from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Argus set a $35.00 price objective on shares of Carnival in a research report on Friday, June 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Carnival currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $35.23.

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.

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