Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Upgraded at TD Cowen

TD Cowen upgraded shares of Carnival (NYSE:CCL) to a strong-buy rating in a report published on Tuesday,Zacks reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on CCL. Freedom Capital raised Carnival to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Loop Capital began coverage on Carnival in a research report on Monday, June 1st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $36.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Carnival from $36.00 to $38.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of Carnival from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Carnival from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $35.08.

Carnival Price Performance

Shares of NYSE CCL opened at $22.44 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $30.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.11, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 2.31. Carnival has a twelve month low of $22.28 and a twelve month high of $34.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.80. The company has a 50 day moving average of $26.36 and a 200 day moving average of $26.91.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, June 23rd. The company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.34 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $6.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.69 billion. Carnival had a return on equity of 26.11% and a net margin of 11.24%.The company’s revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.35 EPS. Carnival has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.220 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.350-1.350 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Carnival will post 2.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Carnival Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 28th. Investors of record on Friday, August 7th were issued a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 7th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. Carnival’s payout ratio is presently 27.03%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CCL. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its position in Carnival by 3,198.1% during the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 42,423,964 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,212,053,000 after purchasing an additional 41,137,642 shares in the last quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co grew its holdings in Carnival by 2,954.0% during the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 19,851,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,625,000 after purchasing an additional 19,201,000 shares during the period. Viking Global Investors LP purchased a new stake in Carnival in the fourth quarter worth about $429,448,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Carnival by 2,432.8% in the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 6,689,954 shares of the company’s stock worth $204,311,000 after buying an additional 6,425,822 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of Carnival by 99.6% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 12,159,619 shares of the company’s stock worth $351,535,000 after buying an additional 6,066,336 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 67.19% of the company’s stock.

Carnival News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Demand indicators remain encouraging: Strong guest demand prompted Holland America Line to complete the Oosterdam’s Evolution renovation five weeks early, adding cruises aboard the reimagined ship. Reservations also opened for the new Carnival Tropicale, scheduled to sail from Galveston in 2028. Holland America renovation article Carnival Tropicale reservations article
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and bookings provide a counterweight: Citi maintained its Buy rating, while strong 2027 bookings and expected cost savings were cited as reasons for a constructive long-term outlook despite recent weakness. Citi Carnival rating article Zacks Carnival outlook article
• Neutral Sentiment: Options activity signals uncertainty rather than a clear direction: A reported $2.2 million long straddle on Carnival suggests an institutional investor is positioning for a sizable move in either direction, likely reflecting elevated volatility. Carnival unusual options activity article
• Negative Sentiment: Crude oil is the main near-term pressure: Surging global oil prices are undermining expectations for fuel-cost relief and could compress Carnival’s margins. The broader cruise group, including Norwegian and Royal Caribbean, has also faced selling pressure from the same concern. Benzinga Carnival stock article
• Negative Sentiment: Interest rates and demand concerns are weighing on sentiment: Elevated rate expectations increase financing pressure for a highly leveraged company, while concerns about European demand add to the market’s caution. The stock has declined roughly 20% over the past month, leaving investors focused on whether the pullback reflects a buying opportunity or worsening fundamentals. Carnival monthly decline article

Carnival Company Profile

Carnival Corporation & plc is a global leisure travel company that operates cruise lines and related vacation businesses. Its cruise brands serve travelers in North America, Europe, Australia, and other international markets, offering ocean voyages to destinations throughout the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Asia, Australia, and other regions.

The company’s brand portfolio includes Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, Cunard, Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises, and P&O Cruises Australia.