Carnival (NYSE:CCL) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.08 EPS

Carnival (NYSE:CCL) posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The company reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.08, FiscalAI reports. Carnival had a return on equity of 26.11% and a net margin of 11.24%.The firm had revenue of $8.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.39 billion. Carnival updated its Q4 2026 guidance to 0.200-0.200 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance to 2.240-2.240 EPS.

Carnival Trading Up 11.6%

CCL stock opened at $24.71 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.80. Carnival has a 52-week low of $21.45 and a 52-week high of $34.03. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $25.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $26.32. The firm has a market cap of $33.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.13, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 2.31.

Carnival Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 7th were given a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 7th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Carnival’s dividend payout ratio is 27.03%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CCL has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Loop Capital initiated coverage on shares of Carnival in a research note on Monday, June 1st. They set a “buy” rating and a $36.00 price target on the stock. Truist Financial upped their target price on Carnival from $29.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Carnival from $38.00 to $36.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Citigroup boosted their price target on Carnival from $35.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on Carnival from $35.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $34.45.

Key Carnival News

Here are the key news stories impacting Carnival this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Carnival reported that third-quarter 2026 results outperformed guidance, with its best-ever revenue, net yields and net income. Record bookings also provide a strong foundation for 2027, reinforcing the company’s demand recovery and pricing momentum. Carnival third-quarter 2026 results
• Positive Sentiment: The results offer a favorable contrast with the recent share-price weakness and may ease concerns that Carnival’s recovery is losing momentum. Strong bookings are particularly important because they support future occupancy, pricing and onboard revenue.
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors had been focused on whether management would discuss dividends, Holland America and fleet upgrades during the earnings update. These topics could influence the next phase of Carnival’s capital-allocation and growth strategy. Carnival earnings preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Princess Cruises, a Carnival brand, launched an AI-powered cruise-planning app within ChatGPT. The initiative could improve customer discovery and bookings, but its near-term financial effect on CCL is uncertain. Princess Cruises AI app launch
• Negative Sentiment: Higher fuel prices remain a major concern because they can raise voyage costs and compress margins. Bank of America cut its Carnival price target as this cost pressure intensified, contributing to investor caution despite the company’s operational gains. Bank of America cuts Carnival price target
• Negative Sentiment: Pre-earnings coverage also highlighted Carnival’s substantial debt burden and shares trading near a 52-week low. Those balance-sheet and valuation concerns may limit the market’s reaction unless management provides reassuring guidance on costs, cash flow and debt reduction.

Carnival Company Profile

Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE: CCL) is a global leisure travel company that operates cruise lines and related vacation businesses. Its brands offer ocean cruises, onboard entertainment, dining, accommodation, excursions and other travel experiences to passengers across a range of price points and destinations.

The company’s portfolio includes Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, Cunard, P&O Cruises, P&O Cruises Australia, AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises.