ABC Arbitrage SA Increases Stock Position in Carnival Corporation $CCL

ABC Arbitrage SA boosted its position in shares of Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) by 137.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 125,293 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 72,477 shares during the period. ABC Arbitrage SA’s holdings in Carnival were worth $3,622,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Carnival by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 112,167 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,191,000 after acquiring an additional 5,435 shares during the last quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Carnival during the first quarter valued at approximately $228,000. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in shares of Carnival by 61.6% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 30,437 shares of the company’s stock valued at $594,000 after purchasing an additional 11,601 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP boosted its holdings in shares of Carnival by 41.9% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 88,522 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,729,000 after purchasing an additional 26,141 shares during the period. Finally, US Bancorp DE increased its position in shares of Carnival by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 41,049 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,154,000 after purchasing an additional 2,280 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.19% of the company’s stock.

Key Carnival News

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research nudged its FY2027 EPS estimate slightly higher to $2.62 (from $2.60) and carries a “Strong‑Buy” view — a bullish analyst revision that supports upside and valuation multiple expansion.
• Positive Sentiment: Carnival hit a fresh 52‑week high, signaling momentum and investor confidence in near‑term demand and earnings recovery. Carnival Corporation (CCL) Hits Fresh High: Is There Still Room to Run?
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published valuation/earnings‑focus coverage questioning whether CCL is undervalued — useful context for longer‑term investors but not an immediate catalyst. Is Carnival (CCL) Stock Undervalued Right Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Carnival plc disclosed an update to issued ordinary shares and voting‑rights structure (routine corporate housekeeping for the UK‑listed parent); monitor for any future dilution discussion but the release itself appears informational. Carnival plc Updates Share Capital and Voting Rights Structure
• Neutral Sentiment: A GlobeNewswire release describes a crypto exchange product called “Carnival” from Phemex — not related to Carnival Corporation (CCL); should be disregarded for CCL fundamentals. Phemex introduces 24/7 TradFi futures trading with 0‑Fee Carnival
• Negative Sentiment: MarketWatch flagged that Carnival underperformed its cruise peers on the day despite gains — relative weakness versus competitors can limit multiple re‑rating and suggests some investors prefer other names in the group. Carnival Corp. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitors despite daily gains
• Negative Sentiment: Traders bought an unusually large volume of put options (77,558 puts, ~47% above average), indicating elevated hedging or bearish positioning that could increase volatility and downside pressure if sentiment shifts.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on CCL. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Carnival in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Tigress Financial increased their price objective on shares of Carnival from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of Carnival from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on Carnival from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Carnival from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Carnival has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $35.00.

Carnival Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of Carnival stock opened at $33.31 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96. The company has a market cap of $41.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.66, a PEG ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 2.49. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $29.88 and its 200-day moving average price is $29.34. Carnival Corporation has a 52-week low of $15.07 and a 52-week high of $34.03.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 the consensus estimate of $6.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.14 earnings per share. 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. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Carnival Corporation will post 1.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Carnival Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%.

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.