Sanford C. Bernstein Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Stock

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) had its price objective upped by analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein from $26.00 to $33.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “market perform” rating on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 4.78% from the company’s current price.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on CCL. Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Carnival in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Carnival from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 1st. Mizuho raised their price objective on Carnival from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Carnival from $35.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Carnival from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $34.39.

Carnival Stock Performance

Shares of Carnival stock opened at $31.50 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $27.71 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $28.94. The company has a market cap of $36.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.75, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 2.51. Carnival has a 1-year low of $15.07 and a 1-year high of $32.89.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, December 19th. The company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.25 by $0.09. Carnival had a return on equity of 28.39% and a net margin of 10.37%.The firm had revenue of $6.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.38 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.14 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter 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. As a group, analysts anticipate that Carnival will post 1.77 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Carnival

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Carnival by 6.0% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 126,663,493 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,561,777,000 after acquiring an additional 7,157,739 shares during the period. Holocene Advisors LP raised its stake in Carnival by 184.3% during the 2nd quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 10,289,947 shares of the company’s stock valued at $289,353,000 after purchasing an additional 6,669,935 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in Carnival by 99.6% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 12,159,619 shares of the company’s stock valued at $351,535,000 after acquiring an additional 6,066,336 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Carnival by 50.7% during the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 14,510,016 shares of the company’s stock valued at $419,573,000 after purchasing an additional 4,883,024 shares in the last quarter. Finally, 59 North Capital Management LP grew its holdings in Carnival by 117.1% during the 2nd quarter. 59 North Capital Management LP now owns 7,704,185 shares of the company’s stock valued at $216,642,000 after buying an additional 4,155,630 shares in the last quarter. 67.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.