Carnival Corporation $CCL Shares Sold by Boothbay Fund Management LLC

Key Points

• Boothbay Fund Management reduced its Carnival stake by 25.1%, selling 223,376 shares and retaining 666,655 shares worth about $19.3 million, making CCL its 28th largest holding.
• Analyst and market sentiment is mixed—some brokers like Bank of America have raised targets (to $45) while others cut them (Stifel to $35), with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a $34.70 average target; oil-price spikes and hedge/ fuel‑cost exposure are cited as near‑term risks.
• Carnival recently beat quarterly EPS estimates ($0.34 vs. $0.25) but slightly missed revenue expectations, set FY‑2026 EPS guidance at 2.48, and pays a quarterly dividend of $0.15 (about a 2.5% yield).

Boothbay Fund Management LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL - Free Report) by 25.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 666,655 shares of the company's stock after selling 223,376 shares during the quarter. Carnival makes up 0.3% of Boothbay Fund Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest holding. Boothbay Fund Management LLC owned about 0.06% of Carnival worth $19,273,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in CCL. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Carnival during the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Carnival by 182.0% in the third quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,021 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 659 shares in the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC purchased a new position in Carnival in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Johnson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Carnival during the third quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. raised its holdings in Carnival by 140.6% during the third quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 1,516 shares of the company's stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 886 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.19% of the company's stock.

Carnival News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Seabourn (Carnival’s luxury brand) unveiled a new high‑end “Denali Experience” pre‑cruise program for Alaska in 2027–28 — a small but constructive product expansion that supports higher‑margin, premium offerings. Seabourn Denali Experience
• Neutral Sentiment: A valuation piece reviews CCL after recent share cooling, noting mixed momentum (short‑term weakness but positive 1‑year performance) — useful context but not an immediate catalyst. Assessing Carnival Valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Industry news: Royal Caribbean plunged after an oil spike tied to Iran tanker strikes; reports note Carnival also fell and may be more exposed if it lacks fuel hedges — rising bunker costs threaten margins and drive near‑term downside. RCL Oil Spike / Impact on Carnival
• Negative Sentiment: Market coverage: Benzinga and Zacks reported CCL sliding as Middle East tensions lifted oil and investors sold into the risk — these stories reflect momentum selling and sentiment shifts that can exacerbate price moves. Benzinga: Stock Slides as Oil Rises Zacks: CCL Declines
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst pressure: The Goldman Sachs Group issued a pessimistic forecast for CCL and Stifel lowered its price target to $35 — analyst downgrades/target cuts increase selling pressure and can influence institutional flows. Goldman Sachs Forecast Stifel Lowers Price Target

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on CCL. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Carnival from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Zacks Research cut shares of Carnival from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Susquehanna upped their price objective on shares of Carnival from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Barclays dropped their price objective on Carnival from $37.00 to $36.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on Carnival from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Nineteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Carnival has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $34.70.

Carnival Stock Up 0.2%

CCL stock opened at $23.97 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $29.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 2.42. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $30.19 and a 200 day moving average price of $29.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.28. Carnival Corporation has a 12 month low of $15.07 and a 12 month high of $34.03.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, December 19th. The company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.25 by $0.09. Carnival had a net margin of 10.37% and a return on equity of 28.39%. The company had revenue of $6.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.38 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.14 earnings per share. Carnival'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. Sell-side analysts expect that Carnival Corporation will post 1.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Carnival Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were given a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. Carnival's payout ratio is 30.00%.

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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