Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CUK) Short Interest Update
by Kim Johansen · The Markets DailyCarnival Corporation (NYSE:CUK – Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest in March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 1,344,571 shares, an increase of 49.6% from the February 26th total of 898,715 shares. Currently, 0.7% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 3,733,058 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.4 days.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Carnival to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded Carnival from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Carnival currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.
Institutional Trading of Carnival
Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Carnival by 376.5% during the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 953 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 753 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Carnival during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in shares of Carnival by 188.9% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,115 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 729 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Carnival by 120.7% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 980 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 536 shares during the period. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Carnival in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. 23.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Carnival Stock Performance
Shares of Carnival stock traded down $1.18 on Friday, reaching $24.06. 5,733,444 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,557,853. Carnival has a 52 week low of $13.65 and a 52 week high of $33.72. The company has a 50 day moving average of $28.80 and a 200 day moving average of $27.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.53 billion, a PE ratio of 10.69 and a beta of 2.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.28.
Carnival (NYSE:CUK – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, March 27th. The company reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.02. Carnival had a net margin of 10.37% and a return on equity of 28.39%. The company had revenue of $6.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.13 billion. Equities analysts forecast that Carnival will post 1.7 earnings per share for the current year.
About Carnival
Carnival plc (NYSE: CUK) is one of the world’s leading cruise operators, offering leisure travel services to millions of passengers each year. Through its portfolio of brands, the company provides passenger cruises that combine accommodations, entertainment, dining, shore excursions and onboard amenities. Carnival’s vessels range from contemporary “fun ships” to premium and luxury experiences, catering to a broad spectrum of travelers from families and couples to solo adventurers.
Founded in 1972 by Ted Arison, the company has grown through organic fleet expansion and strategic acquisitions.