Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Shares Gap Up – Still a Buy?

Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) shares gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $25.20, but opened at $28.28. Carnival shares last traded at $28.4320, with a volume of 18,637,863 shares changing hands.

More Carnival News

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Oil-driven cost relief: Oil plunged on hopes of a two?week Iran ceasefire and rapidly unwound risk premiums tied to the Strait of Hormuz, cutting near-term fuel cost expectations for Carnival. Lower fuel sentiment is the main short-term driver lifting the stock. Carnival Shares Surge As Oil Prices Crash On Iran Ceasefire Hopes
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue/yield tailwinds: Reports highlight stronger onboard spending, early bookings and higher pricing that are supporting yield growth into fiscal 2026 — a structural revenue positive that underpins profit recovery. Can Carnival’s Onboard Spending Momentum Sustain Yield Growth in FY26?
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate housekeeping: Updates on employee share-plan balances and share capital/voting rights were routine and appear informational rather than market-moving. Carnival Leaves Employee Share Plan Balance Unchanged
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/opinion pieces: Several commentaries frame recent weakness as a buying opportunity or examine 3?year prospects; useful for longer-term context but less likely to move intraday trading. The Carnival Stock Price Plunge Is An Opportunity
• Negative Sentiment: Fuel exposure risk: A deeper piece notes Carnival does not hedge fuel and could face rising costs if oil reverses; operators may add fuel surcharges for 2026 bookings if energy stays elevated — a direct margin risk. This is the main structural negative investors are watching. Carnival Fuel Costs Test Profit Gains And 2026 Cruise Demand Strength
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term caution: Market commentators warn of choppy near-term outlook despite recovery gains, underscoring volatility risk for the stock if macro or geopolitical conditions worsen. Where Will Carnival Corporation Stock Be in 3 Years?

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on CCL. Truist Financial decreased their price target on Carnival from $34.00 to $30.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Bank of America upped their price target on Carnival from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. William Blair reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Carnival in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Carnival in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, HSBC upgraded Carnival from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $33.60 to $30.10 in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Twenty-one equities research 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 has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $34.17.

Carnival Stock Up 10.6%

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 company has a market cap of $34.55 billion, a PE ratio of 12.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 2.48. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $28.54 and a 200 day moving average price of $28.53.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last issued its earnings results on Friday, March 27th. The company reported $0.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 return on equity of 26.92% and a net margin of 11.48%.Carnival’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.13 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Carnival Corporation will post 1.77 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Carnival

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

Institutional Trading of Carnival

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Carnival in the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. BOCHK Asset Management Ltd purchased a new stake in Carnival in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in Carnival in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new stake in Carnival in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its stake in Carnival by 381.0% in the fourth quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 962 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 762 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.19% of the company’s stock.

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.