Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Given New $35.00 Price Target at Stifel Nicolaus

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) had its price target decreased by Stifel Nicolaus from $40.00 to $35.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. Stifel Nicolaus currently has a buy rating on the stock.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on CCL. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on Carnival from $26.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Carnival from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Carnival from $31.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Mizuho upped their price target 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. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Carnival from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Nineteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $34.70.

Carnival Stock Performance

Shares of CCL stock opened at $25.97 on Wednesday. Carnival has a 12-month low of $15.07 and a 12-month high of $34.03. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $30.46 and its 200-day simple moving average is $29.42. 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 company has a market cap of $32.17 billion, a PE ratio of 12.98, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 2.42.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, December 19th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $6.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.38 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.14 EPS. The business’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. Analysts expect that Carnival will post 1.77 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 issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. Carnival’s payout ratio is 30.00%.

Institutional Trading of Carnival

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CCL. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Carnival during the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. BOCHK Asset Management Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Carnival during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Carnival during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new position in shares of Carnival during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Carnival by 381.0% in the 4th quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 962 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 762 shares during the period. 67.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Carnival

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.