Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Rating Lowered to Hold at Wall Street Zen

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) was downgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

Several other research analysts have also commented on the company. Morgan Stanley raised Carnival from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $33.00 to $31.00 in a report on Thursday, March 19th. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Carnival in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Susquehanna dropped their target price on shares of Carnival from $40.00 to $30.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Carnival in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Carnival from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $34.41.

Carnival Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of CCL stock opened at $24.15 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 0.30. Carnival has a 52-week low of $15.07 and a 52-week high of $34.03. The company has a market capitalization of $29.93 billion, a PE ratio of 10.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 2.42. The business’s fifty day moving average is $28.95 and its 200 day moving average is $28.82.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last posted its earnings results on Friday, March 27th. The company reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.18 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $6.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.13 billion. Carnival had a return on equity of 26.92% and a net margin of 11.48%.The firm’s revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.13 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Carnival will post 1.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Carnival

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Carnival during the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. BOCHK Asset Management Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Carnival in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Carnival in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new position in shares of Carnival during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Carnival by 381.0% during the 4th quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 962 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 762 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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: Q1 beat on both EPS and revenue; strong demand and record bookings support medium‑term revenue growth. Carnival reported non‑GAAP EPS of ~$0.20 and revenue of ~$6.17B, topping consensus and citing stronger onboard spend and bookings. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Management authorized a $2.5B share buyback and highlighted improving cash flow/return to profitability — actions that are shareholder friendly and underpin upside if fuel pressure eases. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Mizuho raised its price target and maintained an outperform stance, and multiple firms continue to issue buy/overweight ratings — providing potential price support. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro market moves are amplifying stock volatility today (broad indices down, oil rally lifting energy). That can exacerbate sector moves even when company fundamentals are mixed. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed financial metrics: top‑line growth and improved cash generation contrast with declines in operating/net income versus year‑ago levels — investors will watch margin trends and guidance cadence. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Company cut full‑year profit guidance, explicitly citing surging fuel costs driven by Middle East geopolitical tensions (management flagged a sizable fuel bill increase). That guidance reduction is the primary driver of the share decline. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Fuel expense hit: coverage cites fuel costs rising to roughly $2.15B and warns higher fuel will weigh on FY26 results — a direct margin headwind for a fuel‑intensive operator. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: shares fell despite the beat because investors focused on the guidance cut and macro‑driven oil spike — illustrating sensitivity to commodity and geopolitical risk. Read More.

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.