Argus Reiterates Buy Rating for Carnival (NYSE:CCL)

Carnival (NYSE:CCL)‘s stock had its “buy” rating restated by research analysts at Argus in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $35.00 price target on the stock. Argus’ price objective would suggest a potential upside of 10.66% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts have also commented on CCL. Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Carnival in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Carnival in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Carnival from $35.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Zacks Research raised Carnival from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Carnival from $34.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $34.45.

Carnival Stock Down 1.8%

Shares of CCL opened at $31.63 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $36.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.81, a PEG ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 2.53. Carnival has a one year low of $15.07 and a one year high of $32.89. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $27.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $28.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.28.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, December 19th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.25 by $0.09. Carnival had a return on equity of 28.39% and a net margin of 10.37%.The firm had revenue of $6.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.38 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.14 EPS. The business’s 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. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Carnival will post 1.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Causeway Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Carnival in the first quarter worth $518,816,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Carnival by 6.0% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 126,663,493 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,561,777,000 after buying an additional 7,157,739 shares during the period. Holocene Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Carnival by 184.3% during the second quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 10,289,947 shares of the company’s stock worth $289,353,000 after acquiring an additional 6,669,935 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in Carnival by 99.6% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 12,159,619 shares of the company’s stock valued at $351,535,000 after acquiring an additional 6,066,336 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Carnival by 50.7% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 14,510,016 shares of the company’s stock worth $419,573,000 after acquiring an additional 4,883,024 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.19% of the company’s stock.

More Carnival News

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Dividend reinstated. Carnival declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 (first payout since 2020), signaling sustained free cash flow and confidence from management; yield is roughly 1.9%, and the move shifts the story from “survival” to capital returns. Carnival’s Dividend Return Marks the End of Survival Mode
• Positive Sentiment: Record operating results and stronger margins. Carnival reported a standout Q4 and record full‑year EBITDA ($7.2B), higher adjusted net income (~$3.1B), and revenue growth — results that beat expectations and underpin cash flow, deleveraging and the dividend decision. Carnival Quietly Puts Pricing Fears To Rest With Standout Quarter
• Positive Sentiment: Demand and pricing power. Bookings into 2026 are strong (two‑thirds of inventory already booked at higher prices) and limited near‑term supply (no new ship deliveries in 2026) support yields and onboard spend, helping margins and forward cash flow prospects. MarketBeat: Carnival Dividend/Results Deep Dive
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and media backing. Institutional coverage remains constructive — Mizuho reiterated an outperform, Goldman Sachs raised its forecast, and outlets/hosts like Argus and Jim Cramer have publicly praised the stock, which can attract flows and lift sentiment. Mizuho maintains Carnival Corporation (CCL) outperform recommendation
• Neutral Sentiment: Media endorsements (short‑term sentiment boost). High‑profile mentions (e.g., Jim Cramer saying CCL “offers a real bargain”) can drive retail interest and intraday volatility but are less predictive of long‑term fundamentals. Jim Cramer Says “Carnival Corp Offers a Real Bargain”
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate structure change proposed. Management is exploring unifying the DLC listing into a single NYSE entity and moving domicile — a change that could improve liquidity and index inclusion but requires approvals and will take time to realize. MarketBeat: Carnival Dividend/Results Deep Dive
• Negative Sentiment: Technical/valuation caution — near-term pullback risk. Some technical analysts warn the rally may be nearing resistance after rapid gains and a move toward 52‑week highs; profit‑taking or short‑term mean reversion is possible even if fundamentals remain strong. Stock Of The Day: Is The Carnival Rally About To End?

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.