Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CUK) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CUK) was the target of a large increase in short interest in January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 2,015,016 shares, an increase of 74.0% from the January 15th total of 1,158,183 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,576,712 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.8 days. Currently, 1.1% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Currently, 1.1% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 2,576,712 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.8 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC increased its stake in Carnival by 376.5% in the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 953 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 753 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Carnival in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its position in Carnival by 188.9% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,115 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 729 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Carnival by 120.7% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 980 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 536 shares during the period. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Carnival in the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. 23.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Carnival Trading Down 2.3%

NYSE CUK traded down $0.76 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $31.58. 3,413,361 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,743,259. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.28. The stock has a market cap of $5.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.79 and a beta of 2.52. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $29.71 and a 200-day simple moving average of $27.55. Carnival has a one year low of $13.65 and a one year high of $33.72.

Carnival (NYSE:CUK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter. 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. On average, analysts anticipate that Carnival will post 1.7 EPS for the current year.

Carnival Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CUK has been the topic of several research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Carnival in a report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Carnival to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Carnival Company Profile

Carnival plc (NYSE: CUK) is one of the world’s leading cruise operators, offering leisure travel services to millions of passengers each year. Through its portfolio of brands, the company provides passenger cruises that combine accommodations, entertainment, dining, shore excursions and onboard amenities. Carnival’s vessels range from contemporary “fun ships” to premium and luxury experiences, catering to a broad spectrum of travelers from families and couples to solo adventurers.

Founded in 1972 by Ted Arison, the company has grown through organic fleet expansion and strategic acquisitions.