Analysts Set Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) Target Price at $35.09

Shares of Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-eight research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $34.6957.

Several research firms recently issued reports on CCL. Citigroup raised their target price on Carnival from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Zacks Research cut Carnival from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Carnival from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. UBS Group boosted their target price on Carnival from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Argus restated a “buy” rating and set a $35.00 target price on shares of Carnival in a report on Monday, December 22nd.

Carnival Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of CCL opened at $25.97 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.98, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 2.42. 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 firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $30.46 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $29.42. Carnival has a twelve month low of $15.07 and a twelve month high of $34.03.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, December 19th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.25 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $6.33 billion for 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%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company 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. On average, research analysts anticipate that Carnival will post 1.77 EPS for the current year.

Carnival Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. Carnival’s payout ratio is presently 30.00%.

Key Headlines Impacting Carnival

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong industry demand — Royal Caribbean’s (RCL) adjusted EBITDA topped $7B in 2025 and is projected toward $8B in 2026, signaling robust cruise demand and pricing power across the sector, which supports Carnival’s revenue and pricing outlook. RCL EBITDA Nears $8B Target
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts still see upside — Stifel and Goldman Sachs both kept Buy ratings even after trimming targets, suggesting analysts expect demand and earnings recovery to persist despite near‑term headwinds. (Stifel cut target to $35 from $40; Goldman cut to $30 from $34.) Wall Street Still Likes Carnival
• Neutral Sentiment: Unrelated sector/company news — Items like Target Hospitality’s results and a dividend‑stock roundup are not material to Carnival’s fundamentals but add to market noise today. Target Hospitality Q4
• Neutral Sentiment: Product/itinerary announcements (e.g., Princess Cruises’ 2028 world cruise) are demand signals but unlikely to move CCL stock materially by themselves. Princess Cruises World Cruise
• Negative Sentiment: Oil shock & fuel exposure — Coverage highlights that Carnival does not hedge fuel as much as some peers, making it more exposed to the recent Middle East‑driven oil spike; analysts and investors see this as an immediate margin risk. Carnival Down After Oil Shock
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst pressure — Zacks downgraded CCL from “strong‑buy” to “hold,” and price‑target cuts from Stifel and Goldman reduce near‑term upside expectations and can pressure sentiment. Zacks Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Sector‑level fear — Multiple news pieces describe cruise stocks falling amid geopolitical-driven volatility and cost pressures, which amplifies sector‑wide selling and raises short‑term downside risk for CCL. MarketWatch Cruise Sector Piece

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Carnival

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Carnival during the second quarter valued at about $25,000. BOCHK Asset Management Ltd purchased a new stake in Carnival in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in Carnival during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new position in shares of Carnival during the 4th quarter worth approximately $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 worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 762 shares during the period. 67.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.