Carnival Corporation $CCL Shares Sold by Handelsbanken Fonder AB

Key Points

• Handelsbanken Fonder AB cut its Carnival stake by 28.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 220,007 shares and ending with 549,672 shares valued at about $16.8 million.
• Carnival reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $0.20 versus $0.18 expected and revenue of $6.17 billion, up 6.1% year over year.
• Wall Street remains constructive on the stock: analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus with an average price target of $34.18, while Carnival also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share.

Handelsbanken Fonder AB decreased its stake in shares of Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL - Free Report) by 28.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 549,672 shares of the company's stock after selling 220,007 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB's holdings in Carnival were worth $16,787,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. ProShare Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Carnival by 11.7% in the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 258,492 shares of the company's stock worth $7,894,000 after acquiring an additional 27,138 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Carnival by 27.0% in the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 616,292 shares of the company's stock worth $18,822,000 after acquiring an additional 131,130 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its stake in shares of Carnival by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 33,540 shares of the company's stock worth $1,024,000 after acquiring an additional 408 shares during the period. North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new stake in shares of Carnival in the fourth quarter worth $1,132,000. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Carnival in the fourth quarter worth $163,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.19% of the company's stock.

Carnival Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE CCL opened at $26.05 on Thursday. The company's fifty day moving average price is $26.06 and its 200 day moving average price is $28.04. Carnival Corporation has a 1 year low of $21.62 and a 1 year high of $34.03. The company has a market capitalization of $32.27 billion, a PE ratio of 11.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 2.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 0.30.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, March 27th. The company reported $0.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $6.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.13 billion. Carnival had a net margin of 11.48% and a return on equity of 26.92%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.13 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Carnival Corporation will post 2.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Carnival Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 18th. Carnival's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.67%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Carnival from $34.00 to $30.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of Carnival from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. HSBC upgraded shares of Carnival from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $33.60 to $30.10 in a research note on Monday, March 30th. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Carnival from $38.00 to $35.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Carnival from $39.00 to $35.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 30th. Nineteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $34.18.

Insider Transactions at Carnival

In other Carnival news, Director Sir Jonathon Band sold 11,988 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.19, for a total transaction of $313,965.72. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 52,601 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,377,620.19. This trade represents a 18.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders have sold 12,000 shares of company stock worth $314,265 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 7.90% of the company's stock.

More Carnival News

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cruise stocks are rallying broadly, with Carnival outperforming peers as investors buy back into the sector after recent weakness; articles cited strong trading in CCL alongside gains in Norwegian Cruise Line and a comparatively smaller move in Royal Caribbean.
• Positive Sentiment: Lower oil prices are a key tailwind, since fuel is one of Carnival’s biggest operating costs. Falling energy prices can improve margin expectations and boost sentiment toward cruise operators.
• Positive Sentiment: Carnival’s brands continue to support demand headlines, including Holland America Line opening bookings for its 2028 Grand Voyages and Seabourn launching a regionally inspired culinary program for its Alaska season, both of which reinforce the company’s ability to market premium experiences and fill future itineraries.
• Neutral Sentiment: One article noted growing Russell 1000 optimism around Carnival, which may reflect improving index/market attention rather than a direct operational catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary also pointed out that Carnival and other travel names have been volatile, with risk-off trading, geopolitical uncertainty, and fuel-cost sensitivity still weighing on sentiment when markets turn lower.

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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