Quantitative Investment Management LLC Takes $1.49 Million Position in Carnival Corporation $CCL

Quantitative Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor acquired 51,706 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,494,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of CCL. Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Carnival by 22.5% during the third quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 5,400,549 shares of the company’s stock valued at $156,129,000 after purchasing an additional 991,586 shares during the last quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC increased its stake in Carnival by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC now owns 36,109,629 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,043,929,000 after purchasing an additional 291,864 shares in the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its holdings in Carnival by 8.6% during the 3rd quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 177,921 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,144,000 after buying an additional 14,029 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in Carnival by 44.0% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 394,484 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,405,000 after buying an additional 120,501 shares during the period. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC lifted its stake in Carnival by 1.8% during the third quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 27,907 shares of the company’s stock valued at $807,000 after buying an additional 482 shares in the last quarter. 67.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on CCL shares. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Carnival from $31.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on shares of Carnival from $34.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Carnival from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 31st. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Carnival in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on shares of Carnival from $37.00 to $36.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $34.70.

Trending Headlines about Carnival

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Seabourn (Carnival’s luxury brand) announced “The Denali Experience,” an eight-day pre-cruise program for 2027–2028 that expands high-margin luxury offerings and could help yield and pricing in the premium segment. SEABOURN INTRODUCES THE DENALI EXPERIENCE, EXTENDING ALASKA VOYAGES INTO THE HEART OF DENALI NATIONAL PARK IN 2027 AND 2028
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and market write-ups show valuation momentum cooling after recent gains; investors are reassessing whether the stock’s run is sustainable amid mixed short-term performance. Assessing Carnival Corporation (CCL) Valuation After Recent Share Price Cooling
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry context: Royal Caribbean’s strong EBITDA trajectory highlights solid cruise demand but also raises competitive and margin-comparison considerations for Carnival. RCL’s EBITDA Nears $8B Target: How Strong Is the Profitability Story?
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: a Zacks note flagged Carnival’s share decline (the stock fell more than the broader market), reflecting the immediate selling pressure and raising short-term technical/flow risk. Carnival (CCL) Declines More Than Market: Some Information for Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/commodity risk: reports link the share drop to heightened Middle East tensions that lifted oil prices — a direct cost headwind for cruise operators (fuel is a sizable operating input). Carnival (CCL) Stock Slides As Middle East Tensions Lift Oil
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst pressure: Stifel trimmed its price target (while keeping a Buy) and Goldman lowered its target to $30 (still a Buy) — both actions signal rising near-term headwinds (fuel costs, sentiment) and reduce upside expectations. Wall Street Still Likes Carnival $CCL But Still Drops Price Target Goldman Lowers Price Target on Carnival
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks moved Carnival from “strong-buy” to “hold,” increasing perceived near-term risk and likely contributing to selling pressure among momentum-driven holders. Zacks Research

Carnival Stock Down 8.0%

Shares of Carnival stock opened at $23.89 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $29.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.95, a P/E/G ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 2.42. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $30.32 and a 200-day simple moving average of $29.38. Carnival Corporation has a 52-week low of $15.07 and a 52-week high of $34.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.28.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, December 19th. The company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.25 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $6.33 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.38 billion. Carnival had a return on equity of 28.39% and a net margin of 10.37%.The firm’s revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.14 earnings per share. Carnival has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.170-0.170 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 2.480-2.48 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Carnival Corporation will post 1.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Carnival Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Carnival’s dividend payout ratio is 30.00%.

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.