Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd Reduces Stake in Carnival Corporation $CCL

Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd lessened its holdings in Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) by 94.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 9,251 shares of the company’s stock after selling 153,902 shares during the quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd’s holdings in Carnival were worth $267,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Carnival in the second quarter worth $25,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Carnival by 182.0% in the third quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,021 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 659 shares during the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Carnival during the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Carnival by 140.6% in the third quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 1,516 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 886 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. grew its holdings in Carnival by 170.5% during the third quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 1,934 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 1,219 shares during the period. 67.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on CCL shares. Zacks Research raised Carnival from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Carnival in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Carnival from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Carnival from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Carnival from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $35.00.

Carnival Stock Down 3.4%

Shares of CCL opened at $31.58 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $31.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $29.58. Carnival Corporation has a one year low of $15.07 and a one year high of $34.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 0.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $39.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.79, a PEG ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 2.49.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last announced its earnings results on Friday, December 19th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.25 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $6.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.38 billion. Carnival had a net margin of 10.37% and a return on equity of 28.39%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.14 EPS. 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 forecast that Carnival Corporation will post 1.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Carnival Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. Carnival’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.00%.

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.