Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Updates Q3 2026 Earnings Guidance

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) issued an update on its third quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 1.350-1.350 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 1.420. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Carnival also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 2.220-2.220 EPS.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have issued reports on CCL. Susquehanna cut their price objective on Carnival from $40.00 to $30.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Carnival from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Carnival from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on Carnival from $34.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Melius Research set a $36.00 price target on Carnival in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $34.94.

Carnival Price Performance

Shares of Carnival stock traded down $1.79 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $28.40. The company had a trading volume of 19,489,392 shares, compared to its average volume of 25,833,057. 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 stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $27.33 and a 200 day simple moving average of $28.35. Carnival has a 1-year low of $23.45 and a 1-year high of $34.03. The company has a market capitalization of $35.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 2.32.

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 23rd. The company reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $6.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.69 billion. Carnival had a return on equity of 26.92% and a net margin of 11.48%.Carnival has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.220 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.350-1.350 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Carnival will post 2.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Carnival Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 18th were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 18th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Carnival’s payout ratio is presently 26.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Carnival

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

Carnival News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Carnival delivered record Q2 revenue, record adjusted net income, and continued aggressive shareholder returns, including more than $450 million in stock buybacks, which shows operating momentum and capital return discipline.
• Positive Sentiment: Lower fuel prices and strong booking trends have been supporting the cruise industry, which can improve margins and help earnings if the trend continues.
• Neutral Sentiment: The company beat EPS expectations for the quarter, but revenue came in slightly below consensus, making the results solid but not broadly surprising to investors. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Carnival’s updated Q3 2026 EPS guidance of 1.35 came in below the 1.42 consensus estimate, signaling softer near-term earnings than Wall Street expected.
• Negative Sentiment: Full-year 2026 EPS guidance of 2.22 also slightly trails the 2.23 forecast, reinforcing concerns that growth may be leveling off.
• Negative Sentiment: The company said recent disruption from the Iran war hurt bookings, especially in Europe and the Mediterranean, adding geopolitical uncertainty to the demand outlook. Article Title

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Carnival

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. StoneX Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Carnival by 4.9% in the fourth quarter. StoneX Group Inc. now owns 7,935 shares of the company’s stock valued at $242,000 after buying an additional 368 shares during the period. Brooklyn Investment Group grew its holdings in Carnival by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 21,363 shares of the company’s stock worth $618,000 after acquiring an additional 396 shares during the period. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC grew its holdings in Carnival by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 11,816 shares of the company’s stock worth $361,000 after acquiring an additional 446 shares during the period. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC raised its position in shares of Carnival by 6.1% during the 4th quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 8,173 shares of the company’s stock valued at $250,000 after acquiring an additional 468 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Carnival by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 25,613 shares of the company’s stock valued at $740,000 after purchasing an additional 478 shares during the period. 67.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.