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Investing.com - Truist Securities maintained its Hold rating and $27.00 price target on Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL) Wednesday following the cruise operator’s second-quarter earnings report. The stock, currently trading at $25.48, sits near its 52-week high of $28.72, with InvestingPro data showing a strong 38.7% return over the past year.
Carnival delivered stronger-than-expected second-quarter results, outperforming analyst projections in both revenue and cost management. The company’s performance was particularly notable against what Truist described as a "volatile macro backdrop." With a market capitalization of $30.8 billion and an impressive revenue growth of 10.8% in the last twelve months, Carnival maintains its position as a prominent player in the cruise industry.
The cruise line maintained its guidance for the second half of 2025 largely unchanged, which Truist viewed as "a clear positive" given current economic uncertainties. The financial services firm noted that Carnival’s second-half outlook benefits from approximately $40 million in favorable foreign exchange impacts, equivalent to roughly $0.03 per share.
Truist suggested that Carnival might have raised its second-half guidance if not for "macro pressures on demand" currently affecting the travel industry. The firm’s analysis indicated that cruise companies typically have visibility into quarterly performance about nine months in advance due to their booking windows.
While Carnival provided some preliminary commentary about its 2026 outlook that Truist characterized as "encouraging," the analyst report indicated these forward-looking statements remained "very vague at this time." InvestingPro analysis reveals the company maintains a "GREAT" overall financial health score, with analysts setting price targets ranging from $24 to $35. Discover more detailed insights and 8 additional ProTips with an InvestingPro subscription.
In other recent news, Carnival Corporation has reported a robust financial performance for the second quarter of 2025, surpassing both earnings and revenue forecasts. The company achieved an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.35, significantly exceeding the predicted $0.24, and reported revenue of $6.33 billion, outpacing the anticipated $6.21 billion. Following these strong results, Carnival has raised its full-year net income guidance to $2.7 billion, reflecting confidence in its operational strategy and market position. Stifel has responded to this performance by raising Carnival’s stock price target to $34 from $33, citing strong booking trends for 2026 and a healthy demand outlook. Meanwhile, UBS has maintained its Buy rating and a price target of $30, noting Carnival’s improved yield guidance and strategic additions to its cruise offerings. These developments indicate that Carnival is capitalizing on strong demand and operational efficiencies, setting a positive tone for the cruise industry’s future.
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