Miami, Florida-based Carnival Corporation & plc (CCL) is the world's largest cruise company and a leading leisure travel operator. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, the company operates a portfolio of eight cruise brands, including Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises, and Seabourn. With a market cap of $38.8 billion, the company operates through four segments: NAA Cruise Operations, Europe Cruise Operations, Cruise Support, and Tour and Other.
Carnival shares have struggled to keep pace with the broader market, climbing 1.8% over the past year compared to the S&P 500 Index’s ($SPX) 11.1% advance. The stock has also remained under pressure in 2026, slipping 5.6% while the benchmark index has climbed 10.7%.
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However, CCL has held up better than its industry benchmark, the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY), which has fallen 1.3% over the past year. So far in 2026, XLY has gained 3.4%, outpacing Carnival's performance.
www.barchart.com Carnival shares rose 1.2% on Oct. 28 after the cruise operator announced that its board had approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.15 per share. The dividend reflects the company's decision to return capital to shareholders while continuing to benefit from demand for cruise vacations. Shareholders of record as of Nov. 6, 2026, will be eligible to receive the payout, which is scheduled for Nov. 27, 2026.
For the current year, which ends in November, analysts expect CCL’s diluted EPS to rise marginally to $2.26. The company has surpassed the consensus estimate in each of the last four quarters, which is impressive.
Among the 27 analysts covering CCL stock, the consensus is a “Strong Buy.” That’s based on 20 “Strong Buy” ratings, one “Moderate Buy,” and six “Holds.”
www.barchart.com The configuration is bullish than two months ago, when the stock had 19 “Strong Buy” suggestions.
On Oct. 1, Freedom Broker raised its price target on Carnival to $36 from $35 while maintaining a “Buy” rating. Following the company’s third-quarter results, the analyst pointed to improved cost management and strengthening bookings for 2027, signaling growing confidence in Carnival’s operating performance and future demand.
CCL’s mean price target of $33.62 indicates a premium of 16.6% from the current market price. Its Street-high target of $43 implies a robust 49.2% upside from current levels.
On the date of publication, Kritika Sarmah did not directly have a position in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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