Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-eight research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $35.0870.

Several brokerages have issued reports on CCL. 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. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $34.00 price target on shares of Carnival in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Argus restated a “buy” rating and set a $35.00 price objective on shares of Carnival in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Carnival in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Carnival from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 22nd.

Institutional Trading of Carnival

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CCL. BOCHK Asset Management Ltd purchased a new position in Carnival during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Carnival during the third quarter valued at $25,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new stake in shares of Carnival in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Carnival in the second quarter worth about $25,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in Carnival by 381.0% during the 4th quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 962 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 762 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.19% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Carnival

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $40 and kept an “overweight” rating, implying roughly 55% upside from recent levels — a clear analyst vote of confidence that can support buy-side interest. Wells Fargo raises PT and rating
• Positive Sentiment: Income/buy thesis picked up traction: Seeking Alpha highlights Carnival as a dividend-yielding, low-volatility buy, citing margin improvements, Celebration Key and a reinstated $0.15 quarterly dividend — these fundamentals can attract income-focused investors. Seeking Alpha: Dividend-buy thesis
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitor expansion: Royal Caribbean (RCL) is adding Discovery‑class ships, river cruises and private destinations to boost repeat demand — this signals strong industry demand but also intensifies competition for market share. Investors should view this as an industry growth indicator with mixed implications for CCL. RCL adds ships and destinations
• Neutral Sentiment: Luxury promotions: Seabourn launched suite upgrades and shipboard-credit offers to drive bookings in 2026+; niche marketing and promotional activity across luxury operators may pressure yields in specific itineraries but has limited direct impact on Carnival’s mass-market segments. Seabourn promotion
• Negative Sentiment: Oil and geopolitical risk are the main immediate headwinds: multiple pieces link rising WTI crude (near $85) and Strait of Hormuz disruptions from Middle East conflict to pressure cruise margins and route economics — investors are selling on higher fuel-cost risk. Benzinga: Why Carnival shares falling
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction / price action coverage: Several outlets (Zacks, Yahoo Finance) flagged steeper-than-market declines in CCL, reinforcing negative momentum and potentially triggering technical selling. Yahoo/Zacks: CCL falls more steeply
• Negative Sentiment: Options and sentiment on fuel shock: Commentary on RCL options activity and oil-driven volatility highlights elevated hedging/trading around cruise names — a sign of short-term investor unease that typically spills over into CCL. Barchart: Oil shock and options activity

Carnival Stock Down 4.8%

NYSE CCL opened at $25.85 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96. Carnival has a 52 week low of $15.07 and a 52 week high of $34.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.93, a PEG ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 2.42. The company has a fifty day moving average of $30.73 and a two-hundred day moving average of $29.50.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last released its earnings results 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 net margin of 10.37% and a return on equity of 28.39%. The firm had revenue of $6.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.38 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.14 EPS. The business’s 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, analysts predict that Carnival will post 1.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Carnival Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were given a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. Carnival’s payout ratio is 30.00%.

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.