Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) Upgraded to Hold at Zacks Research

Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) was upgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Norwegian Cruise Line from $23.00 to $20.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $18.00 price objective on Norwegian Cruise Line in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. UBS Group cut their target price on Norwegian Cruise Line from $22.00 to $17.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Citigroup raised their price target on Norwegian Cruise Line from $21.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on Norwegian Cruise Line in a research report on Tuesday. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $21.00 price target for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and thirteen have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.55.

Norwegian Cruise Line Stock Down 2.1%

NYSE:NCLH opened at $18.85 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.75, a current ratio of 0.21 and a quick ratio of 0.18. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $18.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $20.44. The company has a market capitalization of $8.66 billion, a PE ratio of 15.84, a P/E/G ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.87. Norwegian Cruise Line has a 1-year low of $14.53 and a 1-year high of $27.18.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The company reported $0.23 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $2.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.36 billion. Norwegian Cruise Line had a net margin of 5.66% and a return on equity of 47.84%. Norwegian Cruise Line’s quarterly revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.07 earnings per share. Norwegian Cruise Line has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.380-0.380 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 1.450-1.790 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Norwegian Cruise Line will post 1.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Norwegian Cruise Line

In related news, Director Jonathan Z. Cohen bought 30,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $15.83 per share, for a total transaction of $474,900.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 38,912 shares in the company, valued at approximately $615,976.96. This represents a 336.62% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO John Chidsey purchased 153,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 22nd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $16.37 per share, for a total transaction of $2,504,610.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 1,139,940 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,660,817.80. The trade was a 15.50% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders bought 1,592,467 shares of company stock valued at $28,493,204 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 5.0% in the fourth quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC now owns 2,068,797 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,176,000 after buying an additional 97,825 shares during the last quarter. MKP Capital Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in Norwegian Cruise Line during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $44,640,000. Penn Capital Management Company LLC increased its holdings in Norwegian Cruise Line by 27.4% during the third quarter. Penn Capital Management Company LLC now owns 587,762 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,520,000 after buying an additional 126,374 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Norwegian Cruise Line in the fourth quarter worth approximately $46,663,000. Finally, Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. purchased a new position in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line during the 1st quarter worth $42,761,000. 69.58% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Norwegian Cruise Line Company Profile

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH) is a global cruise operator offering a portfolio of premium brands that includes Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. The company provides sea voyages and related onboard services such as dining, entertainment, shore excursions and destination experiences. Its fleet of modern vessels sails to more than 400 destinations across all seven continents, serving leisure travelers with itineraries ranging from short Caribbean getaways to extended world voyages.

Founded in 1966 by Knut Kloster and Ted Arison, the company pioneered the concept of “Freestyle Cruising,” which allows passengers greater flexibility in dining schedules, entertainment choices and onboard activities.