Carnival Corporation $CCL Shares Sold by First Trust Advisors LP

Key Points

• First Trust Advisors LP reduced its Carnival stake by 9.9% in the first quarter, selling 69,131 shares and retaining 632,541 shares valued at approximately $16.37 million. Hedge funds and institutional investors collectively own 67.19% of CCL.
• Carnival reported quarterly EPS of $0.41, exceeding analysts’ $0.34 estimate, while revenue reached $6.66 billion, up 5.3% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, equivalent to a 2.2% annualized yield.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating, with an average price target of $35.08 versus the reported share price of $27.78. Recent target increases included Tigress Financial at $42 and Citigroup at $37.

First Trust Advisors LP trimmed its stake in shares of Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL - Free Report) by 9.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 632,541 shares of the company's stock after selling 69,131 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP owned about 0.05% of Carnival worth $16,370,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of CCL. BOCHK Asset Management Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Carnival during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new position in Carnival in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new position in Carnival in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in Carnival by 381.0% in the 4th quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 962 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 762 shares during the period. Finally, Optima Capital LLC purchased a new position in Carnival during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. 67.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Carnival Price Performance

Shares of NYSE CCL opened at $27.78 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a current ratio of 0.33. Carnival Corporation has a one year low of $23.45 and a one year high of $34.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.52, a PEG ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 2.32. The company's fifty day moving average is $27.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $27.95.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 23rd. The company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.34 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $6.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.69 billion. Carnival had a net margin of 11.24% and a return on equity of 26.11%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $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. Analysts forecast that Carnival Corporation will post 2.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Carnival Dividend Announcement

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 given a dividend of $0.15 per share. 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 presently 27.03%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on CCL shares. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Carnival from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Tigress Financial boosted their price target on shares of Carnival from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on shares of Carnival in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. They set a "market perform" rating and a $30.00 price target for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered Carnival from a "market perform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on Carnival from $35.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $35.08.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Bettina Alejandra Deynes sold 43,058 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred 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. The trade was a 38.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 7.90% of the company's stock.

Carnival 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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