Carnival Corporation $CCL Shares Purchased by Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management

Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management raised its stake in Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) by 44.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 64,384 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 19,722 shares during the quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management’s holdings in Carnival were worth $1,966,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Holocene Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Carnival by 184.3% during the second quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 10,289,947 shares of the company’s stock valued at $289,353,000 after acquiring an additional 6,669,935 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in Carnival by 99.6% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 12,159,619 shares of the company’s stock valued at $351,535,000 after purchasing an additional 6,066,336 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Carnival by 50.7% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 14,510,016 shares of the company’s stock valued at $419,573,000 after purchasing an additional 4,883,024 shares in the last quarter. 59 North Capital Management LP boosted its stake in shares of Carnival by 117.1% during the 2nd quarter. 59 North Capital Management LP now owns 7,704,185 shares of the company’s stock worth $216,642,000 after purchasing an additional 4,155,630 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its holdings in shares of Carnival by 1,945.8% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 4,170,268 shares of the company’s stock worth $120,562,000 after buying an additional 3,966,422 shares in the last quarter. 67.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Carnival Stock Performance

NYSE CCL opened at $25.65 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $28.66 and its 200-day simple moving average is $28.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 2.48. Carnival Corporation has a 1-year low of $15.07 and a 1-year high of $34.03. 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 (NYSE:CCL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, March 27th. The company reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.18 by $0.02. Carnival had a net margin of 11.48% and a return on equity of 26.92%. The firm had revenue of $6.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.13 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.13 earnings per share. Carnival’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Carnival Corporation will post 1.77 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Carnival

In related news, Director Sir Jonathon Band sold 11,988 shares of Carnival stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.19, for a total transaction of $313,965.72. Following the transaction, the director owned 52,601 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,377,620.19. The trade was a 18.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 7.90% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on CCL shares. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Carnival from $40.00 to $37.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price 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. Bank of America boosted their price target on Carnival from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on Carnival from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Mizuho raised their price objective on Carnival from $38.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 27th. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Carnival has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $34.17.

Key Stories Impacting Carnival

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Carnival reported a Q1 beat (non‑GAAP EPS $0.20 vs. $0.18 consensus) with revenue up ~6% and reiterated strong booking momentum — fundamentals support upside if demand and yields hold. Q1 Deep Dive
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s PROPEL plan targets >50% EPS growth by 2029, signaling potential meaningful margin/earnings upside if pricing, ancillary spend and cost initiatives execute. PROPEL Analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Consensus remains constructive but mixed: the stock carries many buy/overweight ratings and several price targets above current levels, yet analysts’ views and targets vary — creates both upside scenarios and execution risk. MarketBeat Consensus
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/energy is the main near‑term headwind — oil rebounded above $100/bbl amid Middle East tensions, reviving concerns about Carnival’s fuel exposure and limited hedging and pressuring margins and sentiment. 24/7 Wall St. Fuel Story
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentary highlights Carnival’s light fuel hedges — analysts note the stock reacts strongly to daily oil moves, making headlines about crude a key driver independent of demand strength. QuiverQuant Oil Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: director Sir Jonathon Band sold ~12,000 shares (~$314k), a disclosure that can amplify negative sentiment during sector weakness. InsiderTrades Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive/profitability pressure: analysis comparing Royal Caribbean and Carnival highlights Royal Caribbean’s higher margins and premium positioning — a reminder Carnival’s valuation advantage may be offset by lower long‑term returns if yield/mix don’t improve. Fool: Royal Caribbean vs Carnival
• Negative Sentiment: Some analyst notes and target trims add pressure despite buys — mixed broker moves keep near‑term sentiment fragile even after the beat. Analyst Notes

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.