Citigroup Inc. Buys 80,853 Shares of Carnival Corporation $CUK

Citigroup Inc. raised its stake in Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CUK) by 3,503.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 83,161 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 80,853 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc.’s holdings in Carnival were worth $2,199,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in shares of Carnival by 1,202.6% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 79,305 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,391,000 after purchasing an additional 73,217 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Carnival by 69.2% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 46,021 shares of the company’s stock valued at $807,000 after buying an additional 18,826 shares during the period. ABC Arbitrage SA lifted its stake in shares of Carnival by 17.6% in the second quarter. ABC Arbitrage SA now owns 893,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $22,793,000 after buying an additional 133,601 shares during the period. Mint Tower Capital Management B.V. grew its position in Carnival by 0.9% during the second quarter. Mint Tower Capital Management B.V. now owns 93,690 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,390,000 after buying an additional 820 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new stake in Carnival during the second quarter worth about $1,713,000. 23.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Carnival Trading Down 4.7%

Shares of CUK stock opened at $25.80 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $30.53 and a 200-day moving average of $27.90. The stock has a market cap of $4.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.90 and a beta of 2.46. Carnival Corporation has a 52-week low of $13.65 and a 52-week high of $33.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 0.32.

Carnival (NYSE:CUK) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $0.19 earnings per share for the quarter. Carnival had a net margin of 10.37% and a return on equity of 28.39%. The business had revenue of $6.33 billion for the quarter. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Carnival Corporation will post 1.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Carnival Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. Carnival’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.50%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on CUK. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Carnival in a report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research raised Carnival to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Carnival currently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

About Carnival

Carnival plc (NYSE: CUK) is one of the world’s leading cruise operators, offering leisure travel services to millions of passengers each year. Through its portfolio of brands, the company provides passenger cruises that combine accommodations, entertainment, dining, shore excursions and onboard amenities. Carnival’s vessels range from contemporary “fun ships” to premium and luxury experiences, catering to a broad spectrum of travelers from families and couples to solo adventurers.

Founded in 1972 by Ted Arison, the company has grown through organic fleet expansion and strategic acquisitions.