Arizona State Retirement System Lowers Holdings in Carnival Corporation $CCL

Arizona State Retirement System trimmed its holdings in Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) by 7.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 288,769 shares of the company’s stock after selling 23,294 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System’s holdings in Carnival were worth $8,819,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in CCL. BOCHK Asset Management Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Carnival in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Carnival in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Carnival by 381.0% in the fourth quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 962 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 762 shares in the last quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Carnival by 182.0% in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, LRI Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Carnival in the third quarter worth about $30,000. 67.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. William Blair reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Carnival in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on Carnival from $33.00 to $28.70 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on Carnival from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Barclays decreased their target price on Carnival from $37.00 to $36.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Carnival from $37.00 to $36.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $33.99.

Key Headlines Impacting Carnival

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Broader industry tailwind: a Benzinga roundup highlights cruise stocks as beneficiaries of plummeting oil prices, which improves margins for fuel‑intensive operators like Carnival and supports investor enthusiasm. 3 Cruise Stocks to Buy as Oil Prices Plummet
• Positive Sentiment: Workforce & pipeline investment: Carnival expanded its maritime cadet apprenticeship program with Princess Cruises and Maritime & Port University of Mexico, strengthening crew pipeline and demonstrating capital allocation to human capital that supports long‑term operations. Carnival Corporation Expands Mexico Maritime Cadet Apprenticeship Program
• Positive Sentiment: Demand/itinerary news: Holland America Line (a Carnival brand) resumes an expanded 2026 Alaska season with 100+ voyages and new experiences, supporting near‑term revenue visibility for the cruise segment. Holland America Line Returns to Alaska
• Positive Sentiment: Brand recognition boost: Star Princess earned a spot on Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Hot List, a marketing win that can help drive bookings and pricing power for Princess Cruises. Star Princess Named to Condé Nast Traveler’s Prestigious 2026 Hot List
• Positive Sentiment: Operational/safety initiative: completion of S‑100 bridge simulator trials underscores Carnival’s focus on navigation safety and collaboration on emerging standards—potentially lowering risk and demonstrating proactive cost/efficiency improvements. Carnival’s S‑100 Trials Highlight Safety Focus And Valuation Upside Potential
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation discussion: coverage questioning whether CCL is “offering value” after recent swings highlights mixed investor views—shares have been volatile, so sentiment could swing with near‑term data. Is Carnival Corporation (CCL) Offering Value After Recent Share Price Swings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Local marketing/PR: Princess Cruises will host an Alaska‑themed drone show in Seattle (May 1), a consumer PR event that supports brand visibility but has limited direct financial impact. Princess Cruises to Host Spectacular Alaska-Themed Drone Show
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrade: Zacks added CCL to its Rank #5 (Strong Sell) list, which can pressure sentiment and attract short‑term selling from model‑driven investors. New Strong Sell Stocks for April 24th

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Carnival news, Director Sir Jonathon Band sold 11,988 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.19, for a total transaction of $313,965.72. Following the sale, the director directly owned 52,601 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,377,620.19. The trade was a 18.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 7.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Carnival Trading Up 2.1%

Shares of NYSE CCL opened at $27.20 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $27.49 and its two-hundred day moving average is $28.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82, a current ratio of 0.30 and a quick ratio of 0.26. Carnival Corporation has a 1-year low of $17.33 and a 1-year high of $34.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.09, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 2.48.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, March 27th. The company reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.18 by $0.02. Carnival had a return on equity of 26.92% and a net margin of 11.48%.The company had revenue of $6.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.13 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.13 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Carnival Corporation will post 2.23 EPS for the current year.

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.