National Pension Service Grows Holdings in Carnival Corporation $CCL

Key Points

• National Pension Service increased its Carnival stake by 7.4% in the fourth quarter, buying 205,740 additional shares. It now owns about 3.0 million shares valued at roughly $91.7 million.
• Carnival reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $0.20 versus estimates of $0.18 and revenue of $6.17 billion, up 6.1% from a year earlier. The company also paid a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, or $0.60 annualized.
• Analysts remain broadly constructive on the stock, with 19 Buy ratings and 6 Hold ratings and an average price target of $34.13. However, the article also notes insider selling and a recent cybersecurity breach as potential concerns.

National Pension Service grew its stake in Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL - Free Report) by 7.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,001,300 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 205,740 shares during the period. National Pension Service owned approximately 0.24% of Carnival worth $91,660,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. BOCHK Asset Management Ltd purchased a new position in Carnival in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new position in Carnival in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of Carnival in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 762 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LRI Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Carnival in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.19% of the company's stock.

Carnival Trading Up 0.4%

NYSE:CCL opened at $28.06 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $26.35 and a 200 day moving average of $28.02. Carnival Corporation has a 52 week low of $22.11 and a 52 week high of $34.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.47, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 2.33.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, March 27th. The company reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.02. Carnival had a net margin of 11.48% and a return on equity of 26.92%. The company had revenue of $6.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.13 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.13 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 was paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 18th were issued a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 18th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Carnival's dividend payout ratio is 26.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Carnival news, Director Sir Jonathon Band sold 11,988 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 directly owned 52,601 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,377,620.19. This represents a 18.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In the last three months, insiders have sold 12,000 shares of company stock valued at $314,265. 7.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on CCL. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Carnival from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 28th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Carnival from $37.00 to $36.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Carnival from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Carnival from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and cut their price objective for the company from $33.00 to $31.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. Finally, UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Carnival from $38.00 to $35.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Nineteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Carnival presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $34.13.

Carnival News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple recent articles argue Carnival still looks attractive for buyers, citing a cheap valuation and potential upside if cruise demand stays solid. One note highlighted “3 reasons to buy” the stock, while another said there was “no disruption” to the company’s broader travel story. Article Title Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Lower oil prices are being viewed as a tailwind for Carnival because fuel is one of its biggest operating costs, and recent travel data suggest consumers are still planning vacations. That combination supports margins and could improve earnings expectations. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Holland America, one of Carnival’s brands, announced year-round Europe cruising for 2027-2028. The expansion reinforces long-term demand and capacity planning, but it is not likely to affect near-term results. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: One market note said Carnival insiders sold about $13 million in shares over the past year, which can make investors cautious, but it is not by itself a clear fundamental change. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Carnival disclosed a cybersecurity incident that exposed names, addresses, and government ID numbers after attackers tricked an employee through a social-engineering attack. That creates reputational risk, possible remediation costs, and potential legal exposure. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: A law firm has launched an investigation into the breach, raising the chance of class-action claims and additional costs tied to the incident. Article Title

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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