The Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE:CCL) Third-Quarter Results Are Out And Analysts Have Published New Forecasts

Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE:CCL) shareholders are probably feeling a little disappointed, since its shares fell 6.6% to US$28.36 in the week after its latest quarterly results. Results were roughly in line with estimates, with revenues of US$8.2b and statutory earnings per share of US$1.33. Earnings are an important time for investors, as they can track a company's performance, look at what the analysts are forecasting for next year, and see if there's been a change in sentiment towards the company. Readers will be glad to know we've aggregated the latest statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their mind on Carnival Corporation & after the latest results.

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Taking into account the latest results, the consensus forecast from Carnival Corporation &'s 23 analysts is for revenues of US$27.8b in 2026. This reflects a modest 6.0% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to climb 19% to US$2.39. In the lead-up to this report, the analysts had been modelling revenues of US$27.6b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$2.30 in 2026. So the consensus seems to have become somewhat more optimistic on Carnival Corporation &'s earnings potential following these results.

Check out our latest analysis for Carnival Corporation &

There's been no major changes to the consensus price target of US$35.81, suggesting that the improved earnings per share outlook is not enough to have a long-term positive impact on the stock's valuation. The consensus price target is just an average of individual analyst targets, so - it could be handy to see how wide the range of underlying estimates is. There are some variant perceptions on Carnival Corporation &, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at US$43.00 and the most bearish at US$26.00 per share. This shows there is still a bit of diversity in estimates, but analysts don't appear to be totally split on the stock as though it might be a success or failure situation.

Looking at the bigger picture now, one of the ways we can make sense of these forecasts is to see how they measure up against both past performance and industry growth estimates. We would highlight that Carnival Corporation &'s revenue growth is expected to slow, with the forecast 4.7% annualised growth rate until the end of 2026 being well below the historical 41% p.a. growth over the last five years. Compare this against other companies (with analyst forecasts) in the industry, which are in aggregate expected to see revenue growth of 11% annually. So it's pretty clear that, while revenue growth is expected to slow down, the wider industry is also expected to grow faster than Carnival Corporation &.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing here is that the analysts upgraded their earnings per share estimates, suggesting that there has been a clear increase in optimism towards Carnival Corporation & following these results. Fortunately, the analysts also reconfirmed their revenue estimates, suggesting that it's tracking in line with expectations. Although our data does suggest that Carnival Corporation &'s revenue is expected to perform worse than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at US$35.81, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets.

Keeping that in mind, we still think that the longer term trajectory of the business is much more important for investors to consider. At Simply Wall St, we have a full range of analyst estimates for Carnival Corporation & going out to 2027, and you can see them free on our platform here..

You still need to take note of risks, for example - Carnival Corporation & has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.