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CCL

S&P 500
Neutral · 54/100

Carnival Corporation

Consumer Discretionary
Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines

$30.19

2.2%

Updated Today 6:01 PM ET

Price — Past Year

▲ Up 30.7% over the last 12 months

Price 50-day average 200-day averageSource: Yahoo Finance · refreshed daily
Key Metrics

Market Cap

$42.70B

P/E

13.51x

Forward P/E (est.)

9.65x

ROE

26.2%

Revenue Growth

6.1%

EPS Growth

50.5%

Profit Margin

11.5%

FCF Yield

1.8%

Debt / Equity

2.17x

ROIC

9.0%

Interest Coverage

2.17x

Current Ratio

0.3x

Dividend Yield

2.0%

Implied Growth (rev. DCF)

2.7%

Rating Score

54/100

Technical Analysis (Educational)
Research

Technical analysis reads price and volume to judge momentum and timing. It complements the fundamentals above — it does not replace them. Here is what CCL's chart says today, with each tool explained.

Trend — moving averages. A moving average is the average closing price over a window, which smooths out daily noise. CCL trades near $30.19, above its 50-day average ($27.18) and 200-day average ($28.37). Price above both averages, with the shorter one above the longer, is the textbook definition of an uptrend — momentum favours buyers.

Momentum — RSI. The Relative Strength Index runs 0–100 and measures how strong recent gains are versus losses. Above 70 is "overbought", below 30 "oversold". At 62 it is in neutral territory — neither stretched nor washed out.

MACD. MACD compares two moving averages to flag shifts in momentum. Its histogram is currently positive — short-term momentum is improving.

Volatility — ATR. Average True Range is the typical daily move. CCL's is $1.28 (~4.2% of price), so swings of about that size each day are normal — handy for setting a stop that isn't too tight.

Support & resistance. Over the last month CCL found buyers near $24.91 (support) and sellers near $31.60 (resistance); its 52-week range is $22.58–$34.03. A decisive break beyond either edge often marks the next move.

Volume. The latest session traded 1.2× the 20-day average — about normal. Rising volume on up-days suggests real buying; on down-days, real selling.

Educational information to help you read a chart — not a recommendation or a forecast. It updates daily as the price and indicators change.

Business Overview
Research

Carnival Corporation (CCL) is a large-cap company in the Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines industry, part of the Consumer Discretionary sector of the S&P 500, with a market value around $42.70B.

In its latest reported year it generated about $26.62B in revenue and $2.76B in net profit.

Our model rates CCL Neutral (54/100) on growth, profitability, financial health, and valuation. The summary below is built from its filed financials and current ratios and refreshes automatically.

Revenue Growth
Research

4Y CAGR

93.3%

Revenue moved from $1.91B in 2021 to $26.62B in 2025, a 93.3% compound annual growth rate. The most recent year grew a steady 6.1% year over year. Slower, mature growth is common for established businesses.

Profitability
Research

Gross Margin

55.2%

Operating Margin

16.8%

Net Margin

10.4%

ROE

26.2%

Carnival Corporation keeps about 11.5% of each sales dollar as net profit, with a 55.2% gross margin and 16.8% operating margin. Return on equity is 26.2% and return on invested capital about 9.0%. Margins are moderate — typical of a competitive but profitable business.

Debt Analysis
Research

Total Debt

$26.00B

Net Debt

$24.58B

Net Debt / EBITDA

5.48x

Debt / Equity

2.17x

Leverage: debt-to-equity is 2.2x, and operating profit covers interest about 2.2x, with a current ratio of 0.3x. That is elevated leverage, which raises risk if earnings or rates move against it. It carries roughly $26.00B of total debt against $1.42B of cash.

Cash Flow Analysis
Research

Operating CF

$6.22B

Free Cash Flow

$2.61B

FCF Margin

9.8%

In the latest year Carnival Corporation produced about $6.22B of operating cash flow and $2.61B of free cash flow after capital spending. That is a free-cash-flow yield of about 1.8% on today's price. Cash flow is what ultimately pays shareholders, so it is worth tracking over time.

Valuation Analysis
Research

P/E

13.51x

P/S

1.57x

P/B

2.74x

EV / EBITDA

9.26x

CCL trades at 13.5x trailing earnings (about 9.6x on estimated forward earnings), 1.6x sales, and 2.7x book value. Reverse-engineering today's price implies the market expects roughly 2.7% long-term free-cash-flow growth. That is an undemanding multiple — potentially cheap if the business is stable.

Metrics vs. Typical Range

Where this stock sits versus what most companies trade at.

TTM P/E
13.5xCheap
Forward P/E
9.6xCheap
P/S ratio
1.6xCheap
Revenue growth
6.1%Average
EPS growth
50.5%Strong
Gross margin
55.2%Strong
Net margin
11.5%Strong
ROE
26.2%Strong

Typical ranges are general references (e.g., many stocks trade at ~18–26x earnings), not hard rules. Context only — not investment advice.

Sector Peer Comparison

How CCL stacks up against its Consumer Discretionary peers — valuation, profitability, and growth versus the sector median.

In the Consumer Discretionary sector (48 S&P 500 companies), CCL ranks #24 of 48 by our overall rating. It trades at a discount versus the sector on earnings (13.5x P/E vs. 23.7x median) with a lower return on equity (26.2% vs. 39.2%) and slower revenue growth (6.1% vs. 6.2%).

P/E vs sector

13.5x

median 23.7x

ROE vs sector

26.2%

median 39.2%

Growth vs sector

6.1%

median 6.2%

Sector rank

#24

of 48 by rating

CompanyP/ERev Gr.Rating
CCLThis stock13.5x6.1%Neutral· 54
EXPE19.4x10.0%Favorable· 59
HLT51.5x8.7%Weak· 39
RCL18.8x9.8%Favorable· 66
ABNB33.6x12.6%Favorable· 66
MAR40.3x4.7%Weak· 38
BKNG21.6x14.9%Favorable· 68
NCLH16.5x6.5%Neutral· 45
Consumer Discretionary median23.7x6.2%54/100

Valuation vs. quality map

sector medianEXPEHLTRCLABNBMARBKNGNCLHCCLP/E — cheaper ←→ pricierROE — more profitable ↑

The sweet spot is upper-left: more profitable (higher ROE) for a lower P/E. Dashed lines mark the sector median.

Compare side by side

Peers are the closest Consumer Discretionary companies by sub-industry and size. Sector median is across all 48 S&P 500 names in the sector. Educational, not a recommendation.

5-Year Projection Model

Project revenue → earnings → price. Edit the assumptions to build your own case.

2030 price target (Base Case)

$23.00$40.26

vs. $30.19 today · expected CAGR -5%6%

Metric20262027202820292030
Revenue$28.22B$29.91B$31.71B$33.61B$35.63B
Net income$2.82B$2.99B$3.17B$3.36B$3.56B
EPS$2.28$2.41$2.56$2.71$2.88
Share price (low)$18.22$19.31$20.47$21.70$23.00
Share price (high)$31.89$33.80$35.83$37.98$40.26
CAGR (low–high)-40% / 6%-20% / 6%-12% / 6%-8% / 6%-5% / 6%

Educational model on sample fundamentals — not a forecast or investment advice. Outputs are only as good as your assumptions.

Bull Case

The case for CCL:

  • Strong return on equity (26.2%) shows capital is put to work well.
  • As an established S&P 500 member in Consumer Discretionary, it brings scale and a long operating history.
Bear Case

The case against CCL:

  • Elevated leverage (debt/equity 2.2x) adds financial risk.
  • Interest coverage is thin (2.2x), so debt costs bite.
Key Risks
Research

Balance-sheet risk — debt/equity of 2.2x magnifies the impact of higher rates or weaker earnings.

Market risk — sector rotation, the economic cycle, and broad sentiment move the stock regardless of fundamentals.

Investment Thesis
Research

On balance, the picture is mixed: Carnival Corporation is a large-cap consumer discretionary business growing at a mature pace, with modest profitability, and a heavier debt load to watch. It trades at 13.5x earnings, which our model scores Neutral (54/100). Weigh this against your own goals and time horizon — this is educational information, not a recommendation.

Data notice. Fundamentals and financial statements are sourced from company filings (SEC EDGAR) and market-data providers; prices and market caps refresh on trading days and may be delayed. Ratings, projections, technical signals, and written summaries are model- or rule-generated for education and may simplify or lag the latest filings.

Not advice. Nothing on this page is investment advice or a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell any security. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial professional before investing.