Stifel Nicolaus Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Stock Price

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) had its price target cut by Stifel Nicolaus from $40.00 to $35.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus’ target price would suggest a potential upside of 33.78% from the company’s current price.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on CCL. Truist Financial upped their price target on Carnival from $31.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $34.00 price objective on shares of Carnival in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on Carnival from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Zacks Research downgraded Carnival from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Carnival in a report on Friday, December 26th. Nineteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $34.87.

Carnival Price Performance

Shares of NYSE CCL opened at $26.16 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $30.55 and a 200-day simple moving average of $29.44. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $32.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 2.42. Carnival has a 52 week low of $15.07 and a 52 week high of $34.03.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, December 19th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.25 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $6.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.38 billion. Carnival had a net margin of 10.37% and a return on equity of 28.39%. Carnival’s revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.14 EPS. 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, equities analysts predict that Carnival will post 1.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Carnival

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in CCL. Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Carnival by 23.8% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 276,752 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,452,000 after purchasing an additional 53,275 shares during the last quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co boosted its position in shares of Carnival by 2,954.0% during the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 19,851,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,625,000 after buying an additional 19,201,000 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its stake in shares of Carnival by 26.7% in the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 1,806,036 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,245,000 after buying an additional 380,391 shares in the last quarter. Taylor Securities Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Carnival in the fourth quarter valued at $346,000. Finally, Rehmann Capital Advisory Group raised its holdings in shares of Carnival by 24.1% in the 4th quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group now owns 10,348 shares of the company’s stock valued at $316,000 after buying an additional 2,007 shares during the period. 67.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.