Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Lowered to Hold Rating by Zacks Research

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on CCL. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Carnival in a report on Friday, December 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $34.00 price objective on shares of Carnival in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Susquehanna upped their price objective on Carnival from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Bank of America lifted their target price on Carnival from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Carnival in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $35.09.

Carnival Trading Down 0.9%

NYSE CCL opened at $26.16 on Monday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $30.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $29.44. Carnival has a 12 month low of $15.07 and a 12 month high of $34.03. The stock has a market cap of $32.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.08, a P/E/G ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 2.42. The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, December 19th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.25 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $6.33 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.38 billion. Carnival had a net margin of 10.37% and a return on equity of 28.39%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.14 earnings per share. Carnival has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.170-0.170 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 2.480-2.48 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Carnival will post 1.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in Carnival by 5.1% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 112,167 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,191,000 after buying an additional 5,435 shares during the last quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Carnival in the first quarter worth about $228,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in Carnival by 61.6% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 30,437 shares of the company’s stock worth $594,000 after buying an additional 11,601 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP lifted its holdings in Carnival by 41.9% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 88,522 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,729,000 after buying an additional 26,141 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prospera Financial Services Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Carnival by 52.3% in the second quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 63,263 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,779,000 after purchasing an additional 21,730 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 67.19% of the company’s stock.

Key Carnival News

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Carnival’s recent results and guidance still provide a near-term fundamental buffer — the company beat Q4 EPS and has FY2026 EPS guidance, supporting the bull case that the business is profitable and cash-generative even as the stock falls.
• Positive Sentiment: Product/marketing lift — Princess Cruises (part of Carnival’s portfolio) announced a 2028 115‑day World Cruise, which shows continued willingness to expand itineraries and upsell premium itineraries that can support revenue per passenger. Princess Cruises Announces 2028 World Cruise
• Neutral Sentiment: Index/ownership context — Carnival’s presence in broad funds (S&P 500 exposure) means passive flows will matter; that can both cushion and amplify moves depending on ETF flows. Carnival Corporation Hospitality Travel Presence In S&P 500 Fund
• Neutral Sentiment: Some investors view the share weakness as a buying opportunity amid broader market selling; media pieces highlighting “buy” ideas may attract value-focused buying but won’t offset immediate macro-driven selling. Market Crash: 3 Stocks I’d Buy Without Hesitation
• Negative Sentiment: Unhedged fuel exposure — Carnival does not hedge fuel needs at scale, so the recent oil spike directly raises fuel expense risk and compresses margins relative to peers that hedge. This is the primary driver of today’s selloff. Carnival (CCL) Is Down 9.4% After Oil Shock Exposes Unhedged Fuel Costs
• Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical demand risk and sector contagion — reporting notes that cruising and travel sentiment softened after renewed Middle East tensions, which can reduce bookings or pricing power and hit sector multiples. ‘Cruising used to feel special.’ Cruise lines were struggling even before the Iran conflict hurt stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term volatility and heavy selling — multiple market reports show the stock being hammered on higher volume as investors price in fuel and margin risk; Carnival’s leverage and low current ratio increase sensitivity to profit shocks. Why Carnival Corporation & plc’s (CCL) Stock Is Down 7.52%

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.