Melqart Asset Management UK Ltd Buys Shares of 590,105 Carnival Corporation $CCL

Melqart Asset Management UK Ltd purchased a new stake in Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 590,105 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,060,000. Carnival comprises approximately 2.3% of Melqart Asset Management UK Ltd’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Carnival in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Carnival by 182.0% during the third quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,021 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 659 shares during the period. LRI Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Carnival during the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Johnson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Carnival during the third quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. raised its stake in shares of Carnival by 140.6% in the 3rd quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 1,516 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 886 shares during the period. 67.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Carnival

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Seabourn (Carnival’s luxury brand) unveiled a new high?end “Denali Experience” pre?cruise program for Alaska in 2027–28 — a small but constructive product expansion that supports higher?margin, premium offerings. Seabourn Denali Experience
• Neutral Sentiment: A valuation piece reviews CCL after recent share cooling, noting mixed momentum (short?term weakness but positive 1?year performance) — useful context but not an immediate catalyst. Assessing Carnival Valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Industry news: Royal Caribbean plunged after an oil spike tied to Iran tanker strikes; reports note Carnival also fell and may be more exposed if it lacks fuel hedges — rising bunker costs threaten margins and drive near?term downside. RCL Oil Spike / Impact on Carnival
• Negative Sentiment: Market coverage: Benzinga and Zacks reported CCL sliding as Middle East tensions lifted oil and investors sold into the risk — these stories reflect momentum selling and sentiment shifts that can exacerbate price moves. Benzinga: Stock Slides as Oil Rises Zacks: CCL Declines
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst pressure: The Goldman Sachs Group issued a pessimistic forecast for CCL and Stifel lowered its price target to $35 — analyst downgrades/target cuts increase selling pressure and can influence institutional flows. Goldman Sachs Forecast Stifel Lowers Price Target

Carnival Trading Up 0.2%

NYSE:CCL opened at $23.97 on Friday. Carnival Corporation has a 12-month low of $15.07 and a 12-month high of $34.03. The firm has a market cap of $29.70 billion, a PE ratio of 11.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 2.42. 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 fifty day moving average price of $30.19 and a 200 day moving average price of $29.33.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, December 19th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.25 by $0.09. The company 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%.Carnival’s revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $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. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Carnival Corporation will post 1.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Carnival Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were issued a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. Carnival’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.00%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CCL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Carnival in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on Carnival from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on Carnival from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on shares of Carnival from $34.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of Carnival from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $34.70.

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.