GRS Advisors LLC Decreases Stock Position in Carnival Corporation $CCL

Key Points

• GRS Advisors LLC cut its Carnival stake by 78.6% in Q3, selling 1,468,434 shares and retaining 399,186 shares worth $11.54 million (Carnival is ~1.1% of the fund and its 24th largest holding).
• Carnival reported an EPS beat for the quarter ($0.34 vs. $0.25 expected) while revenue slightly missed ($6.33B vs. $6.38B); it issued FY2026 guidance of 2.48 EPS and pays a quarterly dividend of $0.15 (annualized yield ~2.5%).
• Market sentiment is mixed — analysts give a "Moderate Buy" consensus with an average price target of $34.70, but recent downgrades and rising fuel costs from Middle East tensions pose near‑term margin and share‑price risks.

GRS Advisors LLC lessened its stake in Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL - Free Report) by 78.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 399,186 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,468,434 shares during the period. Carnival comprises about 1.1% of GRS Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 24th largest holding. GRS Advisors LLC's holdings in Carnival were worth $11,540,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Carnival in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position 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 during the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Carnival during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Johnson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Carnival during the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Carnival by 140.6% in 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 during the last quarter. 67.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Carnival Price Performance

Shares of Carnival stock opened at $23.97 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $30.19 and a 200 day moving average of $29.33. Carnival Corporation has a 52 week low of $15.07 and a 52 week high of $34.03. The company has a market cap of $29.70 billion, a PE ratio of 11.98, a P/E/G ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 2.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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. The business had revenue of $6.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.38 billion. Carnival had a net margin of 10.37% and a return on equity of 28.39%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.14 earnings per share. Carnival has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.170-0.170 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 2.480-2.48 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Carnival Corporation will post 1.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Carnival Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Carnival's payout ratio is presently 30.00%.

Key Stories Impacting Carnival

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on CCL shares. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of Carnival from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price target on shares of Carnival from $26.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Carnival from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of Carnival from $34.00 to $30.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Carnival in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $34.70.

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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