Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Stock Rating Upgraded by TD Cowen

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) was upgraded by research analysts at TD Cowen to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Tuesday, Zacks reports.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on CCL. Barclays lowered their price target on Carnival from $36.00 to $35.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Loop Capital began coverage on shares of Carnival in a research note on Monday, June 1st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $36.00 target price on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered shares of Carnival from a “market perform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Carnival from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Carnival from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $35.08.

Carnival Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of CCL stock opened at $22.44 on Tuesday. Carnival has a 1 year low of $22.28 and a 1 year high of $34.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 0.33 and a quick ratio of 0.29. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $26.36 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $26.91. The company has a market cap of $30.73 billion, a PE ratio of 10.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 2.31.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 23rd. The company reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.34 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $6.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.69 billion. Carnival had a return on equity of 26.11% and a net margin of 11.24%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.35 EPS. Carnival has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.220 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.350-1.350 EPS. Research analysts predict that Carnival will post 2.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of Carnival by 3,198.1% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 42,423,964 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,212,053,000 after buying an additional 41,137,642 shares during the period. Auto Owners Insurance Co increased its position in Carnival by 2,954.0% during the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 19,851,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,625,000 after purchasing an additional 19,201,000 shares during the period. Viking Global Investors LP purchased a new position in Carnival during the 4th quarter valued at about $429,448,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Carnival by 2,432.8% in the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 6,689,954 shares of the company’s stock valued at $204,311,000 after purchasing an additional 6,425,822 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of Carnival by 99.6% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 12,159,619 shares of the company’s stock worth $351,535,000 after purchasing an additional 6,066,336 shares during the period. 67.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Carnival

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Demand indicators remain encouraging: Strong guest demand prompted Holland America Line to complete the Oosterdam’s Evolution renovation five weeks early, adding cruises aboard the reimagined ship. Reservations also opened for the new Carnival Tropicale, scheduled to sail from Galveston in 2028. Holland America renovation article Carnival Tropicale reservations article
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and bookings provide a counterweight: Citi maintained its Buy rating, while strong 2027 bookings and expected cost savings were cited as reasons for a constructive long-term outlook despite recent weakness. Citi Carnival rating article Zacks Carnival outlook article
• Neutral Sentiment: Options activity signals uncertainty rather than a clear direction: A reported $2.2 million long straddle on Carnival suggests an institutional investor is positioning for a sizable move in either direction, likely reflecting elevated volatility. Carnival unusual options activity article
• Negative Sentiment: Crude oil is the main near-term pressure: Surging global oil prices are undermining expectations for fuel-cost relief and could compress Carnival’s margins. The broader cruise group, including Norwegian and Royal Caribbean, has also faced selling pressure from the same concern. Benzinga Carnival stock article
• Negative Sentiment: Interest rates and demand concerns are weighing on sentiment: Elevated rate expectations increase financing pressure for a highly leveraged company, while concerns about European demand add to the market’s caution. The stock has declined roughly 20% over the past month, leaving investors focused on whether the pullback reflects a buying opportunity or worsening fundamentals. Carnival monthly decline article

Carnival Company Profile

Carnival Corporation & plc is a global leisure travel company that operates cruise lines and related vacation businesses. Its cruise brands serve travelers in North America, Europe, Australia, and other international markets, offering ocean voyages to destinations throughout the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Asia, Australia, and other regions.

The company’s brand portfolio includes Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, Cunard, Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises, and P&O Cruises Australia.