Moran Wealth Management LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Carnival Corporation $CCL

Key Points

• Moran Wealth Management LLC boosted its Carnival stake by 2,940.9% in Q4, adding 268,475 shares for a total holding of 277,604 shares valued at about $8.48 million.
• Carnival posted an earnings beat (EPS $0.20 vs. $0.18 est.) on $6.17 billion revenue, and analysts hold a consensus “Moderate Buy” with a $33.99 target (21 Buys, 5 Holds, 1 Sell).
• Positive long-term catalysts include LNG dual‑fuel newbuilds and fleet upgrades, but near-term headwinds—rising fuel costs, softer travel demand, a Zacks Strong‑Sell listing, and a recent legal verdict—could pressure the stock.

Moran Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL - Free Report) by 2,940.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 277,604 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 268,475 shares during the period. Moran Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Carnival were worth $8,478,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in Carnival by 5.1% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 112,167 shares of the company's stock worth $2,191,000 after acquiring an additional 5,435 shares during the last quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Carnival during the first quarter worth about $228,000. Empowered Funds LLC raised its position in Carnival by 61.6% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 30,437 shares of the company's stock worth $594,000 after acquiring an additional 11,601 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP raised its position in Carnival by 41.9% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 88,522 shares of the company's stock worth $1,729,000 after acquiring an additional 26,141 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. raised its position in Carnival by 57.0% during the second quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 64,720 shares of the company's stock worth $1,820,000 after acquiring an additional 23,484 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.19% of the company's stock.

More Carnival News

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Energy/geopolitical relief — Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is open on a coordinated route, sending oil prices sharply lower and easing near-term fuel-cost concerns for cruise operators; that helped lift CCL shares intraday. Equities Rally Intraday, Oil Plunges After Iran Declares Hormuz Strait Open
• Positive Sentiment: Company fleet strategy — Carnival brands (notably Princess Cruises and Holland America) announced large LNG dual-fuel newbuilds and a multiyear upgrade program, signaling long-term cost efficiency (lower emissions/fuel flexibility) and growth in Asia that support the company’s multi-year earnings case. Princess Cruises LNG Fleet Expansion and Asia Push Might Change The Case For Investing In Carnival (CCL)
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation check — Analysts and outlets are debating how the new LNG ships and refit programs change Carnival’s valuation and capex profile; that’s constructive long-term but increases near-term capital intensity and timing uncertainty. Carnival Corporation (CCL) Valuation Check After New LNG Ships And Holland America Evolution Program
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrade / sell-list inclusion — Zacks added CCL to its Rank #5 (Strong Sell) list today, which can pressure sentiment and prompt short-term selling from momentum-focused investors. New Strong Sell Stocks for April 17th
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term demand and cost worries — Recent coverage flagged rising fuel costs and a softer consumer-spending outlook for travel/cruises, which previously sent shares lower and remain a headline risk if oil reverses or bookings slow. Why Carnival (CCL) Stock Is Nosediving
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/reputational risk — A high-profile verdict tied to onboard alcohol service draws negative publicity and potential liability exposure for the cruise industry; such cases can raise operating/legal costs and dent consumer perception. Carnival Cruise Line ordered to pay $300,000 for serving over a dozen shots of tequila to passenger before she fell down the stairs

Carnival Stock Performance

NYSE:CCL opened at $29.21 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $28.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $28.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82, a current ratio of 0.30 and a quick ratio of 0.26. The firm has a market cap of $36.19 billion, a PE ratio of 12.98, a P/E/G ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 2.48. Carnival Corporation has a 1-year low of $17.05 and a 1-year high of $34.03.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, March 27th. The company reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $6.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.13 billion. Carnival had a net margin of 11.48% and a return on equity of 26.92%. The company's revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.13 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Carnival Corporation will post 1.77 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CCL has been the subject of a number of research reports. William Blair restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Carnival in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Truist Financial cut their target price on shares of Carnival from $34.00 to $30.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of Carnival from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of Carnival in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Carnival from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and cut their target price for the stock from $33.00 to $31.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $33.99.

Insider Buying and Selling at Carnival

In other news, Director Sir Jonathon Band sold 11,988 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.19, for a total value of $313,965.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 52,601 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,377,620.19. The trade was a 18.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 7.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Carnival Company 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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