Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Cut to Hold at Zacks Research

Zacks Research lowered shares of Carnival (NYSE:CCL) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on CCL. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Carnival from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Carnival from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Carnival from $37.00 to $36.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Carnival in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Carnival from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Nineteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Carnival presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $34.70.

Carnival Stock Performance

NYSE:CCL opened at $25.97 on Monday. 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 has a 52-week low of $15.07 and a 52-week high of $34.03. The firm has a market cap of $32.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.98, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 2.42. The business’s fifty day moving average is $30.46 and its 200 day moving average is $29.42.

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

Carnival Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were given 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 30.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Carnival

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CCL. CVA Family Office LLC grew its stake in Carnival by 15.6% in the 4th quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 2,597 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 350 shares in the last quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group raised its position in shares of Carnival by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group now owns 12,383 shares of the company’s stock valued at $378,000 after buying an additional 354 shares in the last quarter. Triad Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Carnival by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Triad Wealth Partners LLC now owns 17,464 shares of the company’s stock valued at $533,000 after buying an additional 358 shares in the last quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI lifted its holdings in shares of Carnival by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI now owns 10,540 shares of the company’s stock worth $322,000 after acquiring an additional 358 shares during the last quarter. Finally, StoneX Group Inc. grew its position in Carnival by 4.9% in the fourth quarter. StoneX Group Inc. now owns 7,935 shares of the company’s stock worth $242,000 after acquiring an additional 368 shares in the last quarter. 67.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Carnival News

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong industry demand — Royal Caribbean’s (RCL) adjusted EBITDA topped $7B in 2025 and is projected toward $8B in 2026, signaling robust cruise demand and pricing power across the sector, which supports Carnival’s revenue and pricing outlook. RCL EBITDA Nears $8B Target
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts still see upside — Stifel and Goldman Sachs both kept Buy ratings even after trimming targets, suggesting analysts expect demand and earnings recovery to persist despite near‑term headwinds. (Stifel cut target to $35 from $40; Goldman cut to $30 from $34.) Wall Street Still Likes Carnival
• Neutral Sentiment: Unrelated sector/company news — Items like Target Hospitality’s results and a dividend‑stock roundup are not material to Carnival’s fundamentals but add to market noise today. Target Hospitality Q4
• Neutral Sentiment: Product/itinerary announcements (e.g., Princess Cruises’ 2028 world cruise) are demand signals but unlikely to move CCL stock materially by themselves. Princess Cruises World Cruise
• Negative Sentiment: Oil shock & fuel exposure — Coverage highlights that Carnival does not hedge fuel as much as some peers, making it more exposed to the recent Middle East‑driven oil spike; analysts and investors see this as an immediate margin risk. Carnival Down After Oil Shock
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst pressure — Zacks downgraded CCL from “strong‑buy” to “hold,” and price‑target cuts from Stifel and Goldman reduce near‑term upside expectations and can pressure sentiment. Zacks Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Sector‑level fear — Multiple news pieces describe cruise stocks falling amid geopolitical-driven volatility and cost pressures, which amplifies sector‑wide selling and raises short‑term downside risk for CCL. MarketWatch Cruise Sector Piece

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.