Sanford C. Bernstein Issues Positive Forecast for Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Stock Price

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) had its price target raised by research analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein from $26.00 to $33.00 in a research 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 indicate a potential upside of 4.78% from the stock’s current price.

Several other research firms have also commented on CCL. Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Carnival in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Carnival from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Carnival from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Carnival from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on Carnival from $35.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to 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 CCL opened at $31.50 on Tuesday. Carnival has a 12 month low of $15.07 and a 12 month high of $32.89. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $27.71 and a 200-day moving average price of $28.94. 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 firm has a market cap of $36.77 billion, a PE ratio of 15.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 2.51.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, December 19th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.25 by $0.09. Carnival had a return on equity of 28.39% and a net margin of 10.37%.The business had revenue of $6.33 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.38 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.14 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue 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. Equities research analysts predict that Carnival will post 1.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Carnival

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Carnival by 6.0% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 126,663,493 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,561,777,000 after buying an additional 7,157,739 shares during the period. Holocene Advisors LP increased 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 worth $289,353,000 after buying an additional 6,669,935 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 6,066,336 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings 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 worth $419,573,000 after purchasing an additional 4,883,024 shares during the period. Finally, 59 North Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in Carnival by 117.1% in the second quarter. 59 North Capital Management LP now owns 7,704,185 shares of the company’s stock worth $216,642,000 after acquiring an additional 4,155,630 shares during the last quarter. 67.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.