Carnival Corporation $CCL Holdings Trimmed by Wedge Capital Management L L P NC

Wedge Capital Management L L P NC reduced its position in shares of Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) by 25.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,330,502 shares of the company’s stock after selling 449,374 shares during the quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC’s holdings in Carnival were worth $38,465,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Carnival during the second quarter valued at $25,000. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group acquired a new stake in Carnival during the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Banque Transatlantique SA purchased a new position in Carnival during the 1st quarter valued at about $33,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Carnival by 301.0% in the 2nd quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 1,560 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 1,171 shares during the period. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Carnival in the second quarter worth approximately $60,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.19% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CCL has been the topic of several research reports. Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Carnival in a research note on Wednesday. Zacks Research raised shares of Carnival from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. Argus cut their price objective on Carnival from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, September 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Carnival from $34.00 to $39.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, September 15th. Finally, Tigress Financial upped their target price on Carnival from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $34.00.

Carnival Stock Up 9.8%

CCL stock opened at $31.13 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $36.34 billion, a PE ratio of 15.56, a PEG ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 2.53. Carnival Corporation has a 1 year low of $15.07 and a 1 year high of $32.80. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $27.26 and a 200 day simple moving average of $28.34. The company has a current ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.10.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last posted its earnings results on Friday, December 19th. The company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.25 by $0.09. Carnival had a net margin of 10.07% and a return on equity of 27.86%. The firm had revenue of $6.33 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.14 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. Carnival has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.170-0.170 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 2.480-2.48 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Carnival Corporation will post 1.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Stores Impacting Carnival

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat and record 2025 profits — Carnival reported stronger-than-expected adjusted EPS and posted record full-year profits driven by higher yields, rising demand and cost discipline; investors view the earnings surprise as confirmation of the recovery thesis. Zacks: Carnival Q4 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend reinstated — Management announced the return of a cash dividend, a visible shift toward returning capital that buoyed investor sentiment and supports multiple expansion. Proactive: Dividend Return & Single Listing Plan
• Positive Sentiment: FY2026 guidance above Street — Carnival set FY2026 EPS at $2.48, ahead of consensus (~$2.41), signaling confidence in pricing power and demand resilience into next year. Reuters: Forecast Above Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Proposal to unify listings — Carnival proposed a plan to move to a single NYSE-listed share, which could improve liquidity and attract U.S.-centric investors if approved. Proactive: Single NYSE Listing
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — Multiple firms reiterated buy ratings or bullish notes after the results and outlook, reinforcing positive analyst momentum. TipRanks: Analyst Commentary
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusual options activity — Call buying spiked intraday (large increase in call volume), indicating speculative bullish interest that can amplify moves but may reverse quickly.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management interviews and color — CEO interviews provided supportive commentary on consumer demand and pricing; useful for sentiment but not new fundamentals. YouTube: CEO Interview
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue slightly missed estimates and Q1 guide soft vs. consensus — Q4 revenue came in marginally below Street expectations and Q1 2026 EPS guidance (0.17) is a tick under consensus (0.18), giving short-term ammunition to skeptics about near-term momentum. Press Release / Slide Deck

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.