Carnival Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:CCL)

Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Investors acquired 77,558 put options on the company. This represents an increase of 47% compared to the average daily volume of 52,862 put options.

Institutional Trading of Carnival

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in CCL. Lido Advisors LLC increased its position in Carnival by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 58,620 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,703,000 after buying an additional 507 shares during the period. CIBC Asset Management Inc grew its position in shares of Carnival by 73.9% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 256,924 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,846,000 after acquiring an additional 109,196 shares during the last quarter. Rational Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Carnival by 33.9% in the 4th quarter. Rational Advisors Inc. now owns 138,600 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,233,000 after acquiring an additional 35,100 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Carnival by 51.1% in the 4th quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 6,467 shares of the company’s stock valued at $198,000 after acquiring an additional 2,187 shares during the period. Finally, Old Peak Finance LLC purchased a new stake in Carnival in the 4th quarter valued at $209,000. 67.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Carnival News

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research nudged its FY2027 EPS estimate slightly higher to $2.62 (from $2.60) and carries a “Strong‑Buy” view — a bullish analyst revision that supports upside and valuation multiple expansion.
• Positive Sentiment: Carnival hit a fresh 52‑week high, signaling momentum and investor confidence in near‑term demand and earnings recovery. Carnival Corporation (CCL) Hits Fresh High: Is There Still Room to Run?
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published valuation/earnings‑focus coverage questioning whether CCL is undervalued — useful context for longer‑term investors but not an immediate catalyst. Is Carnival (CCL) Stock Undervalued Right Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Carnival plc disclosed an update to issued ordinary shares and voting‑rights structure (routine corporate housekeeping for the UK‑listed parent); monitor for any future dilution discussion but the release itself appears informational. Carnival plc Updates Share Capital and Voting Rights Structure
• Neutral Sentiment: A GlobeNewswire release describes a crypto exchange product called “Carnival” from Phemex — not related to Carnival Corporation (CCL); should be disregarded for CCL fundamentals. Phemex introduces 24/7 TradFi futures trading with 0‑Fee Carnival
• Negative Sentiment: MarketWatch flagged that Carnival underperformed its cruise peers on the day despite gains — relative weakness versus competitors can limit multiple re‑rating and suggests some investors prefer other names in the group. Carnival Corp. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitors despite daily gains
• Negative Sentiment: Traders bought an unusually large volume of put options (77,558 puts, ~47% above average), indicating elevated hedging or bearish positioning that could increase volatility and downside pressure if sentiment shifts.

Carnival Stock Performance

Shares of CCL opened at $33.31 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $41.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 2.49. Carnival has a 52-week low of $15.07 and a 52-week high of $34.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $29.88 and a 200 day moving average price of $29.34.

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

Carnival Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued 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 1.8%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on CCL. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Carnival in a research report on Friday, December 26th. Morgan Stanley set a $33.00 price target on Carnival in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $34.00 price target on shares of Carnival in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Carnival in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Carnival from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Carnival has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $35.00.

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.