Stifel Nicolaus Cuts Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Price Target to $35.00

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) had its price target lowered by Stifel Nicolaus from $40.00 to $35.00 in a research note published on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Carnival in a research report on Friday, December 26th. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of Carnival from $31.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Carnival in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Carnival from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $34.00 price objective on shares of Carnival in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Carnival has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $34.70.

Carnival Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE CCL opened at $23.97 on Wednesday. Carnival has a twelve month low of $15.07 and a twelve month high of $34.03. The firm has a market cap of $29.70 billion, a PE ratio of 11.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 2.42. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $30.19 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $29.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96.

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

Carnival Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. Carnival’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.00%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. World Investment Advisors lifted its position in Carnival by 65.1% during the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 24,451 shares of the company’s stock valued at $747,000 after acquiring an additional 9,644 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its holdings in Carnival by 23.8% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 276,752 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,452,000 after purchasing an additional 53,275 shares during the last quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co increased its position in shares of Carnival by 2,954.0% during the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 19,851,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,625,000 after purchasing an additional 19,201,000 shares in the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its holdings in shares of Carnival by 26.7% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 1,806,036 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,245,000 after purchasing an additional 380,391 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Taylor Securities Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Carnival during the 4th quarter valued at $346,000. Institutional investors own 67.19% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Carnival

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Seabourn (Carnival’s luxury brand) unveiled a new high‑end “Denali Experience” pre‑cruise program for Alaska in 2027–28 — a small but constructive product expansion that supports higher‑margin, premium offerings. Seabourn Denali Experience
• Neutral Sentiment: A valuation piece reviews CCL after recent share cooling, noting mixed momentum (short‑term weakness but positive 1‑year performance) — useful context but not an immediate catalyst. Assessing Carnival Valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Industry news: Royal Caribbean plunged after an oil spike tied to Iran tanker strikes; reports note Carnival also fell and may be more exposed if it lacks fuel hedges — rising bunker costs threaten margins and drive near‑term downside. RCL Oil Spike / Impact on Carnival
• Negative Sentiment: Market coverage: Benzinga and Zacks reported CCL sliding as Middle East tensions lifted oil and investors sold into the risk — these stories reflect momentum selling and sentiment shifts that can exacerbate price moves. Benzinga: Stock Slides as Oil Rises Zacks: CCL Declines
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst pressure: The Goldman Sachs Group issued a pessimistic forecast for CCL and Stifel lowered its price target to $35 — analyst downgrades/target cuts increase selling pressure and can influence institutional flows. Goldman Sachs Forecast Stifel Lowers Price Target

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.