Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Given New $30.00 Price Target at The Goldman Sachs Group

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) had its target price lowered by The Goldman Sachs Group from $34.00 to $30.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock.

CCL has been the subject of a number of other reports. Citigroup upped their price target on Carnival from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Carnival from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Carnival in a report on Friday, December 19th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Carnival from $37.00 to $36.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $33.00 price target on shares of Carnival in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $34.70.

Carnival Stock Down 0.9%

Carnival stock opened at $25.97 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $32.17 billion, a PE ratio of 12.98, a P/E/G ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 2.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.28. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $30.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $29.42. Carnival has a 1-year low of $15.07 and a 1-year high of $34.03.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, December 19th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.14 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. 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, sell-side analysts expect that Carnival will post 1.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Carnival Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 2.3%. Carnival’s payout ratio is presently 30.00%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in Carnival by 23.8% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 276,752 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,452,000 after purchasing an additional 53,275 shares during the period. Auto Owners Insurance Co increased its position in Carnival by 2,954.0% during the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 19,851,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,625,000 after purchasing an additional 19,201,000 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its stake in shares of Carnival by 26.7% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 1,806,036 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,245,000 after buying an additional 380,391 shares in the last quarter. Taylor Securities Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Carnival in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $346,000. Finally, Rehmann Capital Advisory Group lifted its holdings in shares of Carnival by 24.1% in the 4th quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group now owns 10,348 shares of the company’s stock valued at $316,000 after buying an additional 2,007 shares during the period. 67.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More 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

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.