SG Americas Securities LLC Boosts Stock Position in Carnival Corporation $CCL

SG Americas Securities LLC raised its holdings in Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) by 31.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,773,875 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 906,633 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC owned about 0.30% of Carnival worth $97,668,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Auto Owners Insurance Co raised its position in shares of Carnival by 2,954.0% during the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 19,851,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,625,000 after acquiring an additional 19,201,000 shares in the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP purchased a new stake in Carnival during the fourth quarter worth approximately $429,448,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Carnival by 2,432.8% in the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 6,689,954 shares of the company’s stock valued at $204,311,000 after purchasing an additional 6,425,822 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased 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 purchasing an additional 6,066,336 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in Carnival by 50.7% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 14,510,016 shares of the company’s stock valued at $419,573,000 after purchasing an additional 4,883,024 shares during the last quarter. 67.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Carnival

In other news, insider Bettina Alejandra Deynes sold 43,058 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.10, for a total transaction of $1,209,929.80. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 69,238 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,945,587.80. This represents a 38.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Sir Jonathon Band sold 11,988 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.19, for a total value of $313,965.72. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 52,601 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,377,620.19. This represents a 18.56% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 55,058 shares of company stock valued at $1,524,195 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 7.90% of the company’s stock.

Carnival Stock Performance

Shares of CCL opened at $30.92 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82. The firm has a market cap of $38.31 billion, a PE ratio of 13.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 2.32. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $27.28 and its 200-day simple moving average is $28.32. Carnival Corporation has a 12-month low of $22.58 and a 12-month high of $34.03.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last announced its earnings results on Friday, March 27th. The company reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $6.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.13 billion. Carnival had a net margin of 11.48% and a return on equity of 26.92%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.13 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Carnival Corporation will post 2.22 EPS for the current year.

Carnival Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 18th were issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 18th. Carnival’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.67%.

Carnival News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive on Carnival alongside other consumer cyclical names, reinforcing the view that the cruise operator still has room to benefit from resilient leisure spending. Analysts Are Bullish on Top Consumer Cyclical Stocks: Carnival (CCL), AUTO1 Group SE (ATOGF)
• Positive Sentiment: Carnival’s Mediterranean expansion plans for Holland America and broader itinerary growth are being viewed as a sign of stronger booking opportunities and a deeper product offering. Carnival Stock Pops on Mediterranean Expansion Plans
• Positive Sentiment: Lower oil prices are helping cruise stocks, and Carnival is benefiting from easing fuel-cost pressure after geopolitical concerns around the Strait of Hormuz cooled. Carnival Stock Rises As Oil Prices Fall After MoU
• Positive Sentiment: Carnival and Starboard’s limited-edition Bulleit Bourbon launch across 14 ships adds an onboard revenue and branding initiative tied to America’s 250th anniversary. Carnival (CCL) Launches Limited Edition Bulleit Bourbon Across 14 Ships
• Neutral Sentiment: Several previews ahead of Carnival’s June 23 Q2 earnings note that expectations are centered on earnings stability and continued onboard spending strength, but investors are waiting for confirmation from results. Carnival Reports Q2 Earnings Next Week. What Investors Should Expect.
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market commentary shows investors are favoring strong fundamentals and cyclicals, which is supportive for CCL but not specific to the company. The Unstoppable Stock Market Rally Is Defying Fed Fears

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Carnival from $35.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their target price on shares of Carnival from $33.00 to $28.70 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 30th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of Carnival from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Carnival from $38.00 to $39.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on shares of Carnival from $34.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Carnival currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $34.94.

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.