Sei Investments Co. Raises Stock Position in Carnival Corporation $CCL

Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) by 22.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,400,549 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 991,586 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. owned about 0.46% of Carnival worth $156,129,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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

Carnival Price Performance

CCL opened at $23.89 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $30.32 and a 200 day moving average of $29.38. The stock has a market cap of $29.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.95, a PEG ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 2.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96. Carnival Corporation has a 52-week low of $15.07 and a 52-week high of $34.03.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last released its earnings results on Friday, December 19th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $6.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.38 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.14 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 anticipate that Carnival Corporation will post 1.77 EPS for the current year.

Carnival Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. Carnival’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on CCL. Citigroup increased their price target on Carnival from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Carnival from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Carnival in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Morgan Stanley set a $33.00 target price on shares of Carnival in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on shares of Carnival from $34.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Nineteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Carnival presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $34.70.

Key Headlines Impacting Carnival

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Seabourn (Carnival’s luxury brand) announced “The Denali Experience,” an eight-day pre-cruise program for 2027–2028 that expands high-margin luxury offerings and could help yield and pricing in the premium segment. SEABOURN INTRODUCES THE DENALI EXPERIENCE, EXTENDING ALASKA VOYAGES INTO THE HEART OF DENALI NATIONAL PARK IN 2027 AND 2028
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and market write-ups show valuation momentum cooling after recent gains; investors are reassessing whether the stock’s run is sustainable amid mixed short-term performance. Assessing Carnival Corporation (CCL) Valuation After Recent Share Price Cooling
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry context: Royal Caribbean’s strong EBITDA trajectory highlights solid cruise demand but also raises competitive and margin-comparison considerations for Carnival. RCL’s EBITDA Nears $8B Target: How Strong Is the Profitability Story?
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: a Zacks note flagged Carnival’s share decline (the stock fell more than the broader market), reflecting the immediate selling pressure and raising short-term technical/flow risk. Carnival (CCL) Declines More Than Market: Some Information for Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/commodity risk: reports link the share drop to heightened Middle East tensions that lifted oil prices — a direct cost headwind for cruise operators (fuel is a sizable operating input). Carnival (CCL) Stock Slides As Middle East Tensions Lift Oil
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst pressure: Stifel trimmed its price target (while keeping a Buy) and Goldman lowered its target to $30 (still a Buy) — both actions signal rising near-term headwinds (fuel costs, sentiment) and reduce upside expectations. Wall Street Still Likes Carnival $CCL But Still Drops Price Target Goldman Lowers Price Target on Carnival
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks moved Carnival from “strong-buy” to “hold,” increasing perceived near-term risk and likely contributing to selling pressure among momentum-driven holders. Zacks Research

About Carnival

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.