Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Reaches New 52-Week High – Here’s Why

Shares of Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $32.98 and last traded at $32.9220, with a volume of 2097899 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $32.45.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Carnival from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on Carnival from $26.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Carnival in a report on Friday, December 19th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Carnival from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Carnival from $35.00 to $38.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $35.00.

Carnival Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $37.71 billion, a PE ratio of 16.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 2.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 0.32. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $29.05 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $29.22.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, December 19th. The company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.25 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $6.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.38 billion. Carnival had a return on equity of 28.39% and a net margin of 10.37%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $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. Equities analysts forecast that Carnival Corporation will post 1.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Carnival Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. Carnival’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.00%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CCL. BOCHK Asset Management Ltd acquired a new position in Carnival during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Carnival during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in Carnival in the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in Carnival by 381.0% in the 4th quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 962 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 762 shares during the period. Finally, Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Carnival by 182.0% during the third quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,021 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 659 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.19% of the company’s stock.

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.