Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-eight ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, nineteen have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $35.00.

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Carnival from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Bank of America upped their target price 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. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Carnival from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Carnival from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Carnival from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th.

Carnival Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of CCL stock opened at $33.08 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $40.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 2.49. Carnival has a 12-month low of $15.07 and a 12-month high of $34.03. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $30.02 and its 200-day moving average price is $29.36.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.38 billion. Carnival had a return on equity of 28.39% and a net margin of 10.37%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.14 EPS. Carnival has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.170-0.170 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 2.480-2.48 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Carnival will post 1.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Carnival Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. Carnival’s payout ratio is currently 30.00%.

Institutional Trading of Carnival

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CCL. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Carnival by 5.1% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 112,167 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,191,000 after buying an additional 5,435 shares during the period. Great Lakes Advisors LLC bought a new position in Carnival in the 1st quarter valued at $228,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in Carnival by 61.6% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 30,437 shares of the company’s stock worth $594,000 after purchasing an additional 11,601 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP lifted its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 26,141 shares during the last quarter. Finally, US Bancorp DE lifted its position in shares of Carnival by 5.9% during the second quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 41,049 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,154,000 after purchasing an additional 2,280 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.19% of the company’s stock.

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.