---
title: "Carnival: Zackfia Reiterates Buy as Strong Q2 Profit Beat, Yield Momentum and Cost Efficiencies Signal Sustained Margin Expansion"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/290599606.md"
description: "William Blair analyst Sharon Zackfia reiterated a Buy rating on Carnival (CCL) stock, citing strong Q2 profit beats driven by resilient demand, firm last-minute bookings, and healthy onboard spending. Despite fuel cost inflation and currency headwinds, Carnival achieved better-than-expected net yields and meaningful cost efficiencies, with operating expenses lower than forecast. These factors signal sustained margin expansion. Barclays also maintained a Buy rating with a $36 price target."
datetime: "2026-06-23T18:46:18.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/290599606.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/290599606.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/290599606.md)
generator: "portal-rs"
---

# Carnival: Zackfia Reiterates Buy as Strong Q2 Profit Beat, Yield Momentum and Cost Efficiencies Signal Sustained Margin Expansion

William Blair analyst Sharon Zackfia has reiterated their bullish stance on CCL stock, giving a Buy rating on June 18.

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Sharon Zackfia has given his Buy rating due to a combination of factors, including Carnival’s ability to exceed second-quarter profit expectations despite significant fuel cost inflation and currency headwinds. The company delivered stronger-than-planned net yields, supported by firm last-minute bookings and healthy onboard spending, demonstrating resilient demand and solid pricing power.

Additionally, Carnival achieved meaningful cost efficiencies, with underlying operating expenses coming in lower than forecast as savings initiatives and expense timing more than offset higher logistics and crew travel costs. Improved fuel efficiency and lower depreciation further enhanced earnings quality, reinforcing confidence in sustained margin expansion and supporting a constructive outlook on the stock.

According to TipRanks, Zackfia is a 4-star analyst with an average return of 3.4% and a 47.11% success rate. Zackfia covers the Consumer Cyclical sector, focusing on stocks such as CarMax, Kura Sushi USA, and Carnival.

In another report released on June 18, Barclays also maintained a Buy rating on the stock with a $36.00 price target.

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> **Disclaimer: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.**