Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Shares Gap Up – What’s Next?

Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL)’s share price gapped up prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $27.31, but opened at $29.06. Carnival shares last traded at $29.79, with a volume of 9,885,871 shares traded.

Key Carnival News

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Lower oil-price shock eases fuel-cost worries for cruise lines, helping push Carnival shares up as traders price in better near-term margins. Carnival Stock Rallies As Iran Opens Strait Of Hormuz, Oil Prices Plunge
• Positive Sentiment: Princess Cruises and Holland America expansion — including announcements of next‑generation LNG dual‑fuel ships and a multiyear fleet-refresh program — improve Carnival’s long‑term fuel mix and growth profile, which investors view as constructive for future margins and ESG positioning. Princess Cruises LNG Fleet Expansion and Asia Push Might Change The Case For Investing In Carnival (CCL)
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation commentary flags mixed momentum: recent share gains over the past month contrast with a year‑to‑date decline, prompting fresh look at P/E and growth expectations rather than an immediate directional catalyst. Carnival Corporation (CCL) Valuation Check After New LNG Ships And Holland America Evolution Program
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks added CCL to its Rank #5 (Strong Sell) list, a headline that can pressure sentiment and prompt short‑term selling or cautious positioning by retail and quant funds. New Strong Sell Stocks for April 17th
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst/market coverage highlights rising fuel-cost risk and softer consumer‑spending outlooks for the industry — factors that previously drove intra‑day declines and remain a downside risk if oil reverses course or demand weakens. Why Carnival (CCL) Stock Is Nosediving
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/reputational item: a jury award tied to onboard alcohol service draws attention to operational and liability risks (amounts are modest vs. market cap but can be reputationally sensitive). Carnival Cruise Line ordered to pay $300,000 for serving over a dozen shots of tequila to passenger before she fell down the stairs

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CCL has been the topic of several recent research reports. William Blair restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Carnival in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Morgan Stanley upgraded Carnival from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $33.00 to $31.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on Carnival from $34.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Bank of America upped their target price on Carnival from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on Carnival from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Carnival currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $33.99.

Carnival Trading Up 7.7%

The company has a market capitalization of $36.45 billion, a PE ratio of 13.08, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 2.48. The company has a current ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $28.11 and a 200-day simple moving average of $28.43.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, March 27th. The company reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $6.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.13 billion. Carnival had a return on equity of 26.92% and a net margin of 11.48%.The company’s revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.13 EPS. Analysts predict that Carnival Corporation will post 1.77 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Carnival

In other news, Director Sir Jonathon Band sold 11,988 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.19, for a total transaction of $313,965.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 52,601 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,377,620.19. This represents a 18.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 7.90% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Carnival

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management purchased a new position in Carnival during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,291,000. National Pension Service boosted its holdings in Carnival by 10.8% during the 3rd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 2,795,560 shares of the company’s stock valued at $80,820,000 after acquiring an additional 272,452 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in Carnival by 5.6% during the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,774,765 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,867,000 after acquiring an additional 93,565 shares during the period. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR purchased a new position in Carnival during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,422,000. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Carnival by 29.1% during the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 207,520 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,999,000 after acquiring an additional 46,828 shares during the period. 67.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.