Are Wall Street Analysts Bullish on Carnival Corporation Stock?
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: May 01 2025
0mins
Source: NASDAQ.COM
Company Overview and Performance: Carnival Corporation & plc, a leading cruise company with a market cap of $21.8 billion, has seen its shares outperform the broader market, surging 23.8% over the past year despite a 26.4% decline year-to-date, while also exceeding pre-pandemic revenue levels and experiencing strong demand.
Analyst Ratings and Future Projections: The consensus among 25 analysts is a "Strong Buy" for CCL stock, with expectations for a 30.3% rise in EPS for the current fiscal year; however, Barclays analyst lowered the price target to $26, still indicating significant upside potential based on current prices.
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Analyst Views on CCL
Wall Street analysts forecast CCL stock price to rise
18 Analyst Rating
14 Buy
4 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 30.870
Low
33.00
Averages
37.41
High
45.00
Current: 30.870
Low
33.00
Averages
37.41
High
45.00
About CCL
Carnival Corporation is a global cruise and leisure travel company. The Company has a portfolio of cruise lines, including AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises (Australia), P&O Cruises (UK), Princess Cruises, and Seabourn. The Company's segment includes NAA cruise operations, Europe cruise operations (Europe), Cruise Support and Tour and Other. Its Cruise Support segment includes its portfolio of port destinations and exclusive islands as well as other services, all of which are operated for the benefit of its cruise brands. In addition to its cruise operations, it owns Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, a tour company in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon, which complements its Alaska cruise operations. Its Tour and Other segment represents the hotel and transportation operations of Holland America Princess Alaska Tours and other operations. Its tour company owns and operates hotels, lodges, glass-domed railcars and motorcoaches.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Carnival to Announce Q2 Earnings Amid Fuel Price Concerns
- Earnings Announcement: Carnival is set to release its Q2 earnings on June 23 before market open, with Wall Street expecting an EPS of $0.34, down 2.9% year-over-year, and revenue of $6.69 billion, up 5.7% year-over-year.
- Fuel Price Impact: Despite Carnival's record bookings and a long-term goal of 50% EPS growth, the company anticipates that rising fuel prices will negatively affect its full-year results, potentially dampening investor sentiment.
- Earnings Estimate Changes: Over the past two years, Carnival has beaten EPS estimates 100% of the time and revenue estimates 88% of the time; however, in the last three months, EPS estimates have seen 2 upward revisions and 17 downward, while revenue estimates have had 10 upward and 7 downward revisions.
- Market Performance Comparison: Since the beginning of the year, Carnival shares have risen by 1%, compared to a 9.5% increase in the S&P 500 index, indicating a relative underperformance in the broader market, leading analysts to adopt a cautious outlook on the stock.
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- Investigation Launched: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is investigating Carnival Corporation (CCL) to assess whether the company adequately protected the personal information of over 800,000 Texans affected by an April data breach, which could impact its operational compliance in Texas.
- Scale of Data Breach: The breach compromised personal data of more than 6 million passengers, including names, contact details, birth dates, payment information, and health data, highlighting significant vulnerabilities in Carnival's information security management that could lead to legal liabilities and reputational damage.
- Consumer Protection Measures: Carnival officially reported the incident on May 27 and began notifying affected passengers, offering two years of free credit monitoring to mitigate potential consumer trust issues and protect customer interests in the wake of the breach.
- Legal Compliance Review: The investigation will evaluate whether Carnival maintained reasonable procedures to protect sensitive information as required by Texas law, and if violations are found, the company may face fines and other legal repercussions that could further impact its market performance.
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Carnival Corp's Earnings Outlook and Market Position
- Profitability Improvement: Carnival Corp has exceeded analyst profit targets in 91% of its last 11 quarterly reports, showcasing its strong recovery post-pandemic, although the market expects a profit of $0.34 per share for the latest quarter, down $0.01 from last year due to rising fuel costs impacting margins.
- Guidance Outlook Critical: Despite strong demand, Carnival's earnings report will be crucial for its future net yield guidance, especially after competitor Norwegian Cruise Line lowered its full-year earnings forecast due to rising costs; maintaining positive guidance could solidify Carnival's market position.
- Market Leadership Challenge: While Carnival leads in revenue and passenger volume, it lags behind Royal Caribbean in market capitalization, which has shown better profitability and dividend reinstatement post-pandemic; a strong earnings report from Carnival could help reinforce its leadership position in the market.
- Stock Performance Comparison: Over the past year, Carnival's stock has surged by 30%, more than double Royal Caribbean's return, and a strong earnings report could further solidify its standing among investors, particularly during the upcoming earnings call where strategic direction will be closely monitored.
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Carnival Corp. Earnings Outlook and Market Position
- Earnings Performance Expectations: Carnival has exceeded analyst expectations for 11 consecutive quarters, with projected earnings of $0.34 per share this quarter, down from $0.35 a year earlier, indicating ongoing challenges in its recovery process.
- Market Leadership Position: Carnival has overtaken Royal Caribbean in terms of revenue and passenger volume, although it still lags in market capitalization, and its ability to maintain this leadership will depend on its earnings report and market response.
- Industry Recovery Trends: The cruising market has seen a historic recovery, with strong demand for Carnival's services; however, rising fuel prices may pressure profit margins, impacting future profitability.
- Competitor Dynamics: Norwegian Cruise Line's recent financial report was disappointing, achieving earnings but providing poor guidance, which raises caution about its future outlook, thereby presenting Carnival with an opportunity to further solidify its market position.
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- Profitability Expectations: Analysts forecast FedEx to report revenues of $24.04 billion and earnings per share of $5.96, although the combination of the fiscal year calendar change and the spin-off may lead to mixed market reactions, necessitating a focus on profitability metrics.
- Freight Business Outlook: FedEx Freight is expected to achieve modest revenue growth post-spin-off, despite facing pressure on adjusted operating margins due to spin-off-related costs such as technology investments, with the market keenly awaiting insights during Thursday's investor day.
- Inflation Data Impact: The personal consumption expenditures price index (PCE) will be released on Thursday, and while the May consumer price index (CPI) hit a three-year high of 4.2%, the recent drop in oil prices may alleviate future inflation pressures, influencing the Fed's rate hike outlook.
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- Travel Demand Impact: Carnival is set to report earnings before the bell on Monday, which Cramer believes will reveal the effects of the Iran war on travel and the implications of recent fuel price declines on demand, although he favors Viking Holdings for its upscale customer base and pricing power.
- Housing Market Focus: Cramer notes that KB Home's earnings report will provide insights into the impact of elevated interest rates on housing demand, stating that the housing market feels 'dead in the water' and deserves more attention from central bankers.
- Semiconductor Industry Outlook: Micron Technology is scheduled to report earnings on Wednesday, which Cramer calls 'the most consequential quarter of the week,' emphasizing that the company must significantly exceed expectations and raise guidance to maintain its stock rally.
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Carnival to Announce Q2 Earnings Amid Fuel Price Concerns
- Earnings Announcement: Carnival is set to release its Q2 earnings on June 23 before market open, with Wall Street expecting an EPS of $0.34, down 2.9% year-over-year, and revenue of $6.69 billion, up 5.7% year-over-year.
- Fuel Price Impact: Despite Carnival's record bookings and a long-term goal of 50% EPS growth, the company anticipates that rising fuel prices will negatively affect its full-year results, potentially dampening investor sentiment.
- Earnings Estimate Changes: Over the past two years, Carnival has beaten EPS estimates 100% of the time and revenue estimates 88% of the time; however, in the last three months, EPS estimates have seen 2 upward revisions and 17 downward, while revenue estimates have had 10 upward and 7 downward revisions.
- Market Performance Comparison: Since the beginning of the year, Carnival shares have risen by 1%, compared to a 9.5% increase in the S&P 500 index, indicating a relative underperformance in the broader market, leading analysts to adopt a cautious outlook on the stock.
See More
Texas Investigates Carnival Corporation Data Breach Impacting 6M Passengers
- Investigation Launched: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is investigating Carnival Corporation (CCL) to assess whether the company adequately protected the personal information of over 800,000 Texans affected by an April data breach, which could impact its operational compliance in Texas.
- Scale of Data Breach: The breach compromised personal data of more than 6 million passengers, including names, contact details, birth dates, payment information, and health data, highlighting significant vulnerabilities in Carnival's information security management that could lead to legal liabilities and reputational damage.
- Consumer Protection Measures: Carnival officially reported the incident on May 27 and began notifying affected passengers, offering two years of free credit monitoring to mitigate potential consumer trust issues and protect customer interests in the wake of the breach.
- Legal Compliance Review: The investigation will evaluate whether Carnival maintained reasonable procedures to protect sensitive information as required by Texas law, and if violations are found, the company may face fines and other legal repercussions that could further impact its market performance.
See More
Carnival Corp's Earnings Outlook and Market Position
- Profitability Improvement: Carnival Corp has exceeded analyst profit targets in 91% of its last 11 quarterly reports, showcasing its strong recovery post-pandemic, although the market expects a profit of $0.34 per share for the latest quarter, down $0.01 from last year due to rising fuel costs impacting margins.
- Guidance Outlook Critical: Despite strong demand, Carnival's earnings report will be crucial for its future net yield guidance, especially after competitor Norwegian Cruise Line lowered its full-year earnings forecast due to rising costs; maintaining positive guidance could solidify Carnival's market position.
- Market Leadership Challenge: While Carnival leads in revenue and passenger volume, it lags behind Royal Caribbean in market capitalization, which has shown better profitability and dividend reinstatement post-pandemic; a strong earnings report from Carnival could help reinforce its leadership position in the market.
- Stock Performance Comparison: Over the past year, Carnival's stock has surged by 30%, more than double Royal Caribbean's return, and a strong earnings report could further solidify its standing among investors, particularly during the upcoming earnings call where strategic direction will be closely monitored.
See More
Carnival Corp. Earnings Outlook and Market Position
- Earnings Performance Expectations: Carnival has exceeded analyst expectations for 11 consecutive quarters, with projected earnings of $0.34 per share this quarter, down from $0.35 a year earlier, indicating ongoing challenges in its recovery process.
- Market Leadership Position: Carnival has overtaken Royal Caribbean in terms of revenue and passenger volume, although it still lags in market capitalization, and its ability to maintain this leadership will depend on its earnings report and market response.
- Industry Recovery Trends: The cruising market has seen a historic recovery, with strong demand for Carnival's services; however, rising fuel prices may pressure profit margins, impacting future profitability.
- Competitor Dynamics: Norwegian Cruise Line's recent financial report was disappointing, achieving earnings but providing poor guidance, which raises caution about its future outlook, thereby presenting Carnival with an opportunity to further solidify its market position.
See More
FedEx Set to Report Earnings Amid Market Changes
- Earnings Complexity: FedEx is set to report its fiscal 2026 Q4 earnings on Tuesday, covering the March-to-May period, with the complexity arising from the spin-off of FedEx Freight, which complicates direct financial comparisons and may impact market expectations for the company’s future.
- Profitability Expectations: Analysts forecast FedEx to report revenues of $24.04 billion and earnings per share of $5.96, although the combination of the fiscal year calendar change and the spin-off may lead to mixed market reactions, necessitating a focus on profitability metrics.
- Freight Business Outlook: FedEx Freight is expected to achieve modest revenue growth post-spin-off, despite facing pressure on adjusted operating margins due to spin-off-related costs such as technology investments, with the market keenly awaiting insights during Thursday's investor day.
- Inflation Data Impact: The personal consumption expenditures price index (PCE) will be released on Thursday, and while the May consumer price index (CPI) hit a three-year high of 4.2%, the recent drop in oil prices may alleviate future inflation pressures, influencing the Fed's rate hike outlook.
See More
Oil Price Fluctuations and Economic Data in Focus
- Oil Price Forecast: With increased crude exports through the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. Navy lifting its blockade, Jim Cramer anticipates that if peace negotiations with Iran continue to progress, oil prices could see a 'shockingly lower' drop, easing inflationary pressures and supporting potential interest rate cuts.
- Travel Demand Impact: Carnival is set to report earnings before the bell on Monday, which Cramer believes will reveal the effects of the Iran war on travel and the implications of recent fuel price declines on demand, although he favors Viking Holdings for its upscale customer base and pricing power.
- Housing Market Focus: Cramer notes that KB Home's earnings report will provide insights into the impact of elevated interest rates on housing demand, stating that the housing market feels 'dead in the water' and deserves more attention from central bankers.
- Semiconductor Industry Outlook: Micron Technology is scheduled to report earnings on Wednesday, which Cramer calls 'the most consequential quarter of the week,' emphasizing that the company must significantly exceed expectations and raise guidance to maintain its stock rally.
See More
