CCL Stock Surges 11% In A 7-day Spree On Analyst Upgrade and Strong Bookings
Carnival (CCL) – a leisure travel company operating cruise ships worldwide – hit a 7-day winning streak, with cumulative gains over this period amounting to 11%. The company’s market cap has surged by about $4.3 Bil over the last 7 days and currently stands at $43 Bil.
The stock has YTD (year-to-date) return of 2.0% compared to 1.8% for S&P 500. This calls for a re-evaluation of the stock’s valuation to find out whether this is an opportunity or a trap.
What Triggered The Rally?
[1] Zacks Rank Upgrade to #2 (Buy)
- The Forces Behind PayPal’s 50% Stock Drop
- Is Boston Scientific’s Bull Thesis Still Intact?
- How Micron Stock Surges To $700
- AMD Stock Crash Is A Golden Money Making Opportunity
- This Strategy Pays You 12% While Lining Up STX at Bargain Prices
- The Next Big Rally in Micron Technology Stock Could Start Like This
- Upgrade reflects an upward trend in earnings estimates
- Positions CCL in the top 20% of Zacks-covered stocks for estimate revisions
- Impact: Increased investor confidence, Positive near-term price momentum
[2] Renewed Sector Optimism and Strong Booking Trends
- Cruise stocks benefited from renewed optimism around travel demand
- Longer itineraries are booking well for Carnival during the current wave season
- Impact: Broad buying across cruise line stocks, Increased revenue and pricing visibility
Opportunity or Trap?
Below is our take on valuation.
There is a near-equal mix of good and bad in CCL stock given its overall Moderate operating performance and financial condition. Hence, despite its Low valuation, this makes the stock look Risky (For details, see Buy or Sell CCL).
But here is the real interesting point.
You are reading about this 11% move after it happened. The market has already priced in the news. To catch the next winner before the headlines, you need predictive signals, not notifications. Our High Quality Portfolio has flagged 5 new opportunities that have not surged yet.
Returns vs S&P 500
The following table summarizes the return for CCL stock vs. the S&P 500 index over different periods, including the current streak:
| Return Period | CCL | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 1D | 8.5% | -0.1% |
| 7D (Current Streak) | 11.2% | 2.5% |
| 1M (21D) | 1.4% | 0.9% |
| 3M (63D) | 11.8% | 1.1% |
| YTD 2026 | 2.0% | 1.8% |
| 2025 | 22.6% | 16.4% |
| 2024 | 34.4% | 23.3% |
| 2023 | 130.0% | 24.2% |
However, big gains can follow sharp reversals – but how has CCL behaved after prior drops? See CCL Dip Buyer Analysis to learn more.
Gains and Losses Streaks: S&P 500 Constituents
There are currently 60 S&P constituents with 3 days or more of consecutive gains and 87 constituents with 3 days or more of consecutive losses.
| Consecutive Days | # of Gainers | # of Losers |
|---|---|---|
| 3D | 26 | 43 |
| 4D | 25 | 20 |
| 5D | 6 | 14 |
| 6D | 1 | 8 |
| 7D or more | 2 | 2 |
| Total >=3 D | 60 | 87 |
Key Financials for Carnival (CCL)
Last 2 Fiscal Years:
| Metric | FY2024 | FY2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenues | $25.0 Bil | $26.6 Bil |
| Operating Income | $3.6 Bil | $4.5 Bil |
| Net Income | $1.9 Bil | $2.8 Bil |
Last 2 Fiscal Quarters:
| Metric | 2025 FQ3 | 2025 FQ4 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenues | $8.2 Bil | $6.3 Bil |
| Operating Income | $2.3 Bil | $735.0 Mil |
| Net Income | $1.9 Bil | $422.0 Mil |
While CCL stock looks attractive given its winning streak, investing in a single stock without detailed, thorough analysis can be risky. The Trefis High Quality (HQ) Portfolio, with a collection of 30 stocks, has a track record of comfortably outperforming its benchmark that includes all 3 — the S&P 500, S&P mid-cap, and Russell 2000 indices. Why is that? As a group, HQ Portfolio stocks provided better returns with less risk versus the benchmark index; less of a roller-coaster ride, as evident in HQ Portfolio performance metrics.