Carnival CCL
Carnival Corporation is the world's largest cruise company, operating a fleet of ships under several brands (Carnival, Princess, Holland America, etc.) and generating revenue from ticket sales and onboard spending. Carnival trades at a P/E of 10.02 and an EV/EBITDA of 7.45, which seems attractive, but earnings growth is negative (-6.5%) and the sharp rise in crude oil (+12 USD) increases its fuel bill, a cost it cannot fully hedge. Net debt of 3.28x EBITDA and rising interest rates add pressure on its financial health.
Detailed metrics
Market and fundamental data as of the analysis date.
Full AI report
Generated automatically from the metrics, the macro context and the company's news.
Carnival Corporation is the world's largest cruise company, operating a fleet of ships under several brands (Carnival, Princess, Holland America, etc.) and generating revenue from ticket sales and onboard spending. Carnival trades at a P/E of 10.02 and an EV/EBITDA of 7.45, which seems attractive, but earnings growth is negative (-6.5%) and the sharp rise in crude oil (+12 USD) increases its fuel bill, a cost it cannot fully hedge. Net debt of 3.28x EBITDA and rising interest rates add pressure on its financial health.
Score by category
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Financial health | 3.6 |
| Quality / Moat | 5.8 |
| Valuation | 8.1 |
| Growth | 3.9 |
| Dividend | 5.1 |
| Momentum | 3.2 |
| Risk & Context | 1.8 |
OVERALL SCORE: 4.9/10
Context and risks
The sharp rise in crude oil directly impacts Carnival's fuel costs, a significant operating expense for a shipping company. Additionally, rising interest rates (10-year Treasury at 5.17%) make servicing net debt of 3.28x EBITDA more expensive, although the main effect is already captured by the engine.
News considered in the analysis
- Carnival (CCL): A Record Quarter Meets a Fuel Bill Nobody Can Hedge Away — El récord de resultados se ve contrarrestado por el fuerte aumento del coste del combustible, un gasto operativo clave que no puede cubrirse completamente con coberturas.
- Bank of America cuts Carnival stock target as key cost surges — Un recorte de precio objetivo por parte de un banco de inversión importante refleja la presión sobre los márgenes por el aumento de costes, lo que pesa en la confianza del mercado.
- Is Softer Q3 2026 Expectations Reshaping the Resilience Story for Carnival (CCL)? — Las expectativas de un tercer trimestre más débil de lo previsto sugieren que el crecimiento podría estar moderándose, lo que añade presión a la narrativa de resiliencia de la empresa.
- US Equity Investors to Focus on Surging Treasury Yields While Looking Out for Crude Oil Prices, Micron's Results This Week — Titular genérico de mercado sin información específica sobre Carnival.
- Carnival (CCL) Climbed, So What Is Drawing Attention Now? — Artículo especulativo sin información nueva o concreta sobre la empresa.
Verdict: Hold; the cheap valuation does not compensate for deteriorating growth and margin pressure from fuel costs.
Main risk: The main risk is exposure to crude oil prices: a sustained rise in fuel costs, which cannot be fully hedged, compresses operating margins (12.79%) and hampers earnings recovery.
Other Consumer Cyclical companies
Neighbours in the sector ranking, to compare without going back to the index.
See all 1,000+ companies in the index →