Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-six research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, twenty have assigned a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $34.9429.

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Carnival from $38.00 to $35.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 13th. William Blair reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Carnival in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Carnival from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. Truist Financial cut their price target on shares of Carnival from $30.00 to $29.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Carnival from $37.00 to $36.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 15th.

Carnival News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive on Carnival alongside other consumer cyclical names, reinforcing the view that the cruise operator still has room to benefit from resilient leisure spending. Analysts Are Bullish on Top Consumer Cyclical Stocks: Carnival (CCL), AUTO1 Group SE (ATOGF)
• Positive Sentiment: Carnival’s Mediterranean expansion plans for Holland America and broader itinerary growth are being viewed as a sign of stronger booking opportunities and a deeper product offering. Carnival Stock Pops on Mediterranean Expansion Plans
• Positive Sentiment: Lower oil prices are helping cruise stocks, and Carnival is benefiting from easing fuel-cost pressure after geopolitical concerns around the Strait of Hormuz cooled. Carnival Stock Rises As Oil Prices Fall After MoU
• Positive Sentiment: Carnival and Starboard’s limited-edition Bulleit Bourbon launch across 14 ships adds an onboard revenue and branding initiative tied to America’s 250th anniversary. Carnival (CCL) Launches Limited Edition Bulleit Bourbon Across 14 Ships
• Neutral Sentiment: Several previews ahead of Carnival’s June 23 Q2 earnings note that expectations are centered on earnings stability and continued onboard spending strength, but investors are waiting for confirmation from results. Carnival Reports Q2 Earnings Next Week. What Investors Should Expect.
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market commentary shows investors are favoring strong fundamentals and cyclicals, which is supportive for CCL but not specific to the company. The Unstoppable Stock Market Rally Is Defying Fed Fears

Carnival Stock Up 0.2%

CCL opened at $30.92 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $27.28 and a 200 day moving average of $28.32. The company has a market cap of $38.31 billion, a PE ratio of 13.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 2.32. Carnival has a 12 month low of $22.58 and a 12 month high of $34.03. The company has a current ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, March 27th. The company reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.18 by $0.02. Carnival had a net margin of 11.48% and a return on equity of 26.92%. The company had revenue of $6.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.13 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.13 EPS. Carnival’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Carnival will post 2.22 EPS for the current year.

Carnival Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 18th were issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 18th. Carnival’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Carnival

In other Carnival news, Director Sir Jonathon Band sold 11,988 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.19, for a total value of $313,965.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 52,601 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,377,620.19. This trade represents a 18.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Bettina Alejandra Deynes sold 43,058 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.10, for a total transaction of $1,209,929.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 69,238 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,945,587.80. The trade was a 38.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 55,058 shares of company stock valued at $1,524,195. Insiders own 7.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Carnival

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BOCHK Asset Management Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Carnival during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Carnival during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of Carnival during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position 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 valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 762 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Optima Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Carnival during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.19% of the company’s stock.

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.