Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Upgraded at BMO Capital Markets

Posted by Francis Steltz on Jul 9th, 2026

Carnival (NYSE:CCL – Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at BMO Capital Markets to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on CCL. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on Carnival from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. HSBC raised Carnival from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $33.60 to $30.10 in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Carnival from $36.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on shares of Carnival from $34.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Argus set a $35.00 price objective on shares of Carnival in a research report on Friday, June 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $34.99.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on CCL

Carnival Stock Down 3.8%

Carnival stock opened at $25.66 on Tuesday. Carnival has a fifty-two week low of $23.45 and a fifty-two week high of $34.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a current ratio of 0.33. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $27.40 and its 200 day simple moving average is $28.44. The stock has a market cap of $35.14 billion, a PE ratio of 11.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 2.32.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, June 23rd. The company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.34 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $6.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.69 billion. Carnival had a net margin of 11.24% and a return on equity of 26.11%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.35 EPS. Carnival has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.220 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.350-1.350 EPS. Research analysts predict that Carnival will post 2.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Carnival news, insider Bettina Alejandra Deynes sold 43,058 shares of the business’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 sale, the insider owned 69,238 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,945,587.80. The trade was a 38.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 7.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BOCHK Asset Management Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Carnival during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new position in Carnival during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new position in Carnival during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Carnival by 107.8% during the 1st quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,045 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 542 shares during the period. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its stake 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 purchasing an additional 762 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.19% of the company’s stock.

Carnival News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

Positive Sentiment: Carnival’s FY2026 earnings estimate was nudged slightly higher, and its FY2028 estimate was also raised marginally, showing analysts still see earnings growth over time.
Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighted that FY27 bookings remain at historical highs, with strong pricing and occupancy suggesting demand is still healthy.
Positive Sentiment: Carnival completed the Celebration Key pier extension early, doubling capacity at its private destination and potentially supporting more guest traffic and future revenue.
Neutral Sentiment: A recent article argued that Carnival stock may look discounted on earnings, but noted that the recovery story is partly priced in and risks remain mixed.
Negative Sentiment: Analysts cut estimates for Q3 2026, Q4 2026, Q2 2027, and Q1 2028, reinforcing concerns that near-term profitability may be less robust than previously expected.
Negative Sentiment: Rising oil prices tied to renewed Middle East tensions are pressuring cruise stocks, since fuel is a major operating cost for Carnival and can squeeze margins.
Negative Sentiment: Carnival was also removed from several Russell growth indices, which may have added technical selling pressure.

About Carnival

(Get Free Report)

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.