Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Stock Price Up 6.8% on Analyst Upgrade

Posted by Brian Himes on Jul 24th, 2026

Shares of Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL – Get Free Report) rose 6.8% during trading on Friday after Truist Financial raised their price target on the stock from $29.00 to $31.00. Truist Financial currently has a hold rating on the stock. Carnival traded as high as $26.81 and last traded at $26.9840. 7,224,766 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 71% from the average daily volume of 24,926,238 shares. The stock had previously closed at $25.27.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Carnival from $36.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Tigress Financial upped their target price on shares of Carnival from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Argus set a $35.00 price target on shares of Carnival in a report on Friday, June 26th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Carnival from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Carnival from $38.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Carnival has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $35.08.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on CCL

Insider Buying and Selling at Carnival

In other news, insider Bettina Alejandra Deynes sold 43,058 shares of Carnival stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was 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 approximately $1,945,587.80. This trade represents a 38.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 7.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Carnival

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. CVA Family Office LLC boosted its position in Carnival by 15.6% in the fourth quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 2,597 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after buying an additional 350 shares in the last quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group increased its holdings in shares of Carnival by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group now owns 12,383 shares of the company’s stock worth $378,000 after buying an additional 354 shares in the last quarter. Triad Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Carnival by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Triad Wealth Partners LLC now owns 17,464 shares of the company’s stock worth $533,000 after buying an additional 358 shares in the last quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI lifted its stake in shares of Carnival by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI now owns 10,540 shares of the company’s stock valued at $322,000 after acquiring an additional 358 shares during the last quarter. Finally, StoneX Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Carnival by 4.9% in the 4th quarter. StoneX Group Inc. now owns 7,935 shares of the company’s stock valued at $242,000 after acquiring an additional 368 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.19% of the company’s stock.

Carnival Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $36.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.15, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 2.32. 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 company has a fifty day moving average of $27.48 and a two-hundred day moving average of $28.08.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, June 23rd. The company reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.07. Carnival had a return on equity of 26.11% and a net margin of 11.24%.The business had revenue of $6.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.69 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.35 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Carnival has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.220 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.350-1.350 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Carnival Corporation will post 2.23 EPS for the current year.

Carnival Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Investors of record on Friday, August 7th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 7th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Carnival’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.03%.

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.