Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Upgraded at HSBC

HSBC upgraded shares of Carnival (NYSE:CCL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Monday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. HSBC currently has $30.10 price objective on the stock, down from their previous price objective of $33.60.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Carnival from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Wall Street Zen lowered Carnival from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 28th. Bank of America upped 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. Susquehanna reduced their price objective on Carnival from $40.00 to $30.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on Carnival from $34.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Carnival has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $34.17.

Carnival Price Performance

NYSE:CCL opened at $26.60 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $32.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.82, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 2.48. Carnival has a one year low of $15.07 and a one year high of $34.03. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $28.78 and a 200 day moving average price of $28.70. 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 issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, March 27th. The company reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $6.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.13 billion. Carnival had a net margin of 11.48% and a return on equity of 26.92%. The business’s revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.13 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Carnival will post 1.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Carnival

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Carnival in the 3rd quarter valued at $1,291,000. National Pension Service raised its stake in shares of Carnival by 10.8% in the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 2,795,560 shares of the company’s stock worth $80,820,000 after acquiring an additional 272,452 shares during the last quarter. Mane Global Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of Carnival in the second quarter worth about $55,952,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Carnival by 5.6% during the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,774,765 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,867,000 after purchasing an additional 93,565 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new stake in shares of Carnival during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,422,000. Institutional investors own 67.19% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Carnival

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management’s PROPEL strategy targets >50% EPS growth by 2029, driven by strong bookings, pricing and yields — a clear long‑term upside thesis if execution and demand persist. CCL’s PROPEL Strategy Targets 50% EPS Growth: Is the Upside Realistic?
• Positive Sentiment: HSBC upgraded CCL to a Buy, giving the stock dealer support that can lift sentiment and attract flows. HSBC Upgrades Carnival Corporation (CCL)
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays initiated/issued a Buy on Carnival, another constructive analyst vote that can support near‑term demand for shares. Carnival (CCL) Gets a Buy from Barclays
• Neutral Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein maintained a more cautious stance (hold rating earlier) and recently adjusted coverage/price views; the firm’s stance moderates upside expectations. Bernstein Keeps Their Hold Rating on Carnival (CCL)
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup issued a pessimistic forecast for CCL’s stock price, adding downward pressure from a major bank’s outlook. Citigroup Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Stock Price
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo cut its price target to $37.00, signaling less upside from current levels and contributing to analyst‑driven selling pressure. Wells Fargo & Company Lowers Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Price Target to $37.00
• Negative Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein lowered its price target to $28.70, tightening the range of analyst upside and adding to cautious sentiment. Sanford C. Bernstein Lowers Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Price Target to $28.70
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 results: revenue roughly met expectations and EPS beat modestly, but management lowered near‑term guidance and warned of significant fuel cost headwinds — the main driver of near‑term downward revisions. CCL Q1 Deep Dive: Lowered Guidance and Fuel Costs Weigh on Cruise Giant’s Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Commentators (TipRanks, MarketBeat) highlighted strong bookings but emphasized fuel and cautious guidance as reasons the stock sold off after earnings. Carnival Corporation Signals Strong Q1, Fuel Headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Media/TV commentary (Jim Cramer) favored Viking over Carnival, a sentiment cue that can influence retail flows away from CCL. Jim Cramer Recommends Viking Holdings Over Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean

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.