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With a market cap of $27.5 billion, Carnival Corporation & plc (CCL) is the world’s largest cruise company, providing leisure travel experiences across North America, Australia, Europe, and other international markets. Operating under well-known brands such as Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, and Cunard, the company carries nearly half of global cruise guests.
Companies valued at $10 billion or more are generally classified as “large-cap” stocks, and Carnival Corporation fits this criterion perfectly, exceeding the mark. It also operates port destinations, hotels, railcars, and motorcoaches to support its cruise and tour offerings.
Shares of the Miami, Florida-based company have decreased 16.9% from its 52-week high of $28.72. Shares of Carnival Corporation have increased 12.5% over the past three months, outpacing the Direxion Daily Travel & Vacation Bull 2X Shares’ (OOTO) 1.9% rise over the same time frame.
Longer term, CCL stock is down 4.3% on a YTD basis, a less pronounced decline than OOTO’s 19.3% drop. Moreover, shares of the cruise operator have surged 48.5% over the past 52 weeks, compared to OOTO’s 8.9% return over the same time frame.
The stock has risen above its 50-day moving average since early May.
Despite reporting better-than-expected Q1 2025 adjusted EPS of $0.13 and revenue of $5.8 billion, shares of CCL fell 1.2% on Mar. 21. While operating income nearly doubled year-over-year to $543 million and adjusted EBITDA rose 38.3% to $1.2 billion, the company still holds $27 billion in debt, only slightly down from $27.5 billion the prior quarter.
In comparison, rival Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG) has lagged behind CCL stock over the past 52 weeks, increasing over 34% over the past 52 weeks. However, BKNG stock has gained 7.2% on a YTD basis, outpacing CCL’s performance.
Due to the stock’s outperformance over the past year, analysts are bullish about its prospects. The stock has a consensus rating of “Strong Buy” from the 25 analysts covering the stock, and as of writing, CCL is trading below the mean price target of $28.42.
On the date of publication, Sohini Mondal did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions 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.
