Market Whales and Their Recent Bets on CCL Options

High-rolling investors have positioned themselves bearish on Carnival CCL, and it's important for retail traders to take note. \This activity came to our attention today through Benzinga's tracking of publicly available options data. The identities of these investors are uncertain, but such a significant move in CCL often signals that someone has privileged information.

Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 17 options trades for Carnival. This is not a typical pattern.

The sentiment among these major traders is split, with 23% bullish and 70% bearish. Among all the options we identified, there was one put, amounting to $204,450, and 16 calls, totaling $1,548,490.

Projected Price Targets

After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $12.0 and $27.0 for Carnival, spanning the last three months.

Analyzing Volume & Open Interest

Looking at the volume and open interest is an insightful way to conduct due diligence on a stock.

This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Carnival's options for a given strike price.

Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Carnival's whale activity within a strike price range from $12.0 to $27.0 in the last 30 days.

Carnival Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days

Largest Options Trades Observed:

About Carnival

Carnival is the largest global cruise company, with 92 ships in service at the end of fiscal 2023. Its portfolio of brands includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America, Princess Cruises, and Seabourn in North America; P&O Cruises and Cunard Line in the United Kingdom; Aida in Germany; Costa Cruises in Southern Europe; and P&O Cruises in Australia. Carnival also owns Holland America Princess Alaska Tours in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Carnival's brands attracted nearly 13 million guests in 2019, prior to covid-19, a level it reached again in 2023.

Following our analysis of the options activities associated with Carnival, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.

Current Position of Carnival

• Currently trading with a volume of 9,287,768, the CCL's price is up by 1.22%, now at $18.59.
• RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be overbought.
• Anticipated earnings release is in 92 days.

Expert Opinions on Carnival

A total of 4 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $20.0.

• Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Truist Securities keeps a Hold rating on Carnival with a target price of $17.
• Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Citigroup continues to hold a Buy rating for Carnival, targeting a price of $22.
• An analyst from Deutsche Bank has decided to maintain their Hold rating on Carnival, which currently sits at a price target of $19.
• An analyst from Susquehanna has decided to maintain their Positive rating on Carnival, which currently sits at a price target of $22.

Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Carnival with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts.