Barclays Cuts Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Price Target to $36.00

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) had its price target trimmed by Barclays from $37.00 to $36.00 in a report published on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an overweight rating on the stock.

Several other research firms also recently issued reports on CCL. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Carnival in a research note on Friday, December 26th. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Carnival in a report on Friday, December 19th. Zacks Research lowered Carnival from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Carnival from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on Carnival from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Carnival has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $34.36.

Carnival Trading Down 1.5%

CCL opened at $25.34 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $31.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 2.42. Carnival has a 12 month low of $15.07 and a 12 month high of $34.03. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $29.05 and its 200 day simple moving average is $28.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96.

Institutional Trading of Carnival

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Auto Owners Insurance Co increased its position in shares of Carnival by 2,954.0% during the 4th 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 during the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP acquired a new stake in shares of Carnival in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $429,448,000. Holocene Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Carnival by 184.3% in the second quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 10,289,947 shares of the company’s stock valued at $289,353,000 after buying an additional 6,669,935 shares in the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Carnival by 2,432.8% in the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 6,689,954 shares of the company’s stock valued at $204,311,000 after buying an additional 6,425,822 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in Carnival by 99.6% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 12,159,619 shares of the company’s stock worth $351,535,000 after buying an additional 6,066,336 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.19% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Carnival

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Robust demand and revenue momentum — previews note record Q4 revenue, continued high booking momentum and the company chasing a long streak of earnings beats, which supports medium‑term earnings upside. Carnival Q1 Preview: Cruise Line Looks To Offset Oil Concerns With Record Demand, 14th Straight Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — Morgan Stanley upgraded CCL to Overweight (despite trimming its price target), and TD Cowen reaffirmed a Buy stance, signaling some sell‑side conviction that recent weakness may be an entry opportunity. Carnival Corp. (CCL) Upgraded by Morgan Stanley
• Neutral Sentiment: Q1 focus — multiple previews and earnings guides highlight key metrics to watch (fuel expense, ticket yields, capacity deployment and forward bookings); near‑term volatility is likely until the actual Q1 print. Carnival (CCL) Reports Q1: Everything You Need To Know Ahead Of Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Rising fuel costs — several reports point to oil/fuel headwinds entering Q1 that could compress margins and temper EPS beats, a key catalyst for the near‑term stock move. Carnival faces fuel cost headwinds ahead of Q1 results
• Negative Sentiment: Cost pressures beyond fuel — analysts flag higher dry‑dock and regulatory costs for FY26 that could weigh on margin progression even as yields improve. Will High Dry Dock & Regulatory Costs Weigh On CCL’s Earnings Growth?
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts lowered expectations — Barclays and Truist have trimmed forecasts/price expectations recently, adding downside pressure to sentiment despite other shops staying constructive. Barclays Has Lowered Expectations for Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Stock Price
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader industry moves — competitors expanding premium/luxury itineraries (e.g., Seabourn) underline segmentation gains but are not an immediate threat to Carnival’s mass-market recovery. SEABOURN ANNOUNCES NEW 2027-2029 OCEAN VOYAGES AS IT CELEBRATES 40 YEARS AT SEA

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.