Truist Financial Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Stock

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) had its target price upped by equities researchers at Truist Financial from $29.00 to $31.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “hold” rating on the stock. Truist Financial’s price target points to a potential upside of 21.88% from the stock’s previous close.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. TD Cowen raised their price target on Carnival from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Zacks Research raised Carnival from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Melius Research set a $36.00 target price on shares of Carnival in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Carnival from $36.00 to $35.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of Carnival from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $35.08.

Carnival Price Performance

Shares of NYSE CCL traded down $0.67 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $25.43. 9,493,780 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 24,949,729. The company has a current ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.80. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $27.48 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $28.12. The company has a market cap of $34.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.45, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 2.32. Carnival has a 12-month low of $23.45 and a 12-month high of $34.03.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, June 23rd. The company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $6.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.69 billion. Carnival had a return on equity of 26.11% and a net margin of 11.24%.The firm’s revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.35 earnings per share. Carnival has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.220 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.350-1.350 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Carnival will post 2.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Bettina Alejandra Deynes sold 43,058 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.10, for a total value of $1,209,929.80. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 69,238 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,945,587.80. The trade was a 38.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 7.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Carnival

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CCL. Swedbank AB increased its holdings in shares of Carnival by 10.0% in the fourth quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 519,939 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,879,000 after purchasing an additional 47,070 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Carnival by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 128,133,282 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,913,190,000 after buying an additional 368,445 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in Carnival by 5.1% during the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 2,252,014 shares of the company’s stock valued at $69,632,000 after buying an additional 109,474 shares in the last quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. grew its holdings in Carnival by 95.9% during the 1st quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 889,393 shares of the company’s stock valued at $23,017,000 after buying an additional 435,470 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its stake in Carnival by 10.0% in the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 654,946 shares of the company’s stock worth $20,002,000 after acquiring an additional 59,383 shares during the last quarter. 67.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.