Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) Upgraded by Freedom Capital to “Strong-Buy” Rating

Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) to a strong-buy rating in a report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

NCLH has been the subject of a number of other reports. Mizuho decreased their price target on Norwegian Cruise Line from $27.00 to $24.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Weiss Ratings raised Norwegian Cruise Line from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Zacks Research downgraded Norwegian Cruise Line from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. UBS Group reduced their target price on Norwegian Cruise Line from $22.00 to $17.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their target price on Norwegian Cruise Line from $30.00 to $27.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $20.95.

Norwegian Cruise Line Trading Up 5.6%

Shares of NYSE:NCLH opened at $19.17 on Wednesday. Norwegian Cruise Line has a 12-month low of $14.53 and a 12-month high of $27.18. The company has a market capitalization of $8.80 billion, a PE ratio of 16.11, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.89. The business has a 50 day moving average of $18.22 and a two-hundred day moving average of $20.28. The company has a current ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.75.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.15 by $0.08. Norwegian Cruise Line had a return on equity of 47.84% and a net margin of 5.66%.The company had revenue of $2.33 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.36 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.07 earnings per share. Norwegian Cruise Line’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. 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. As a group, analysts forecast that Norwegian Cruise Line will post 1.48 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Norwegian Cruise Line news, Director Zillah Byng-Thorne bought 25,015 shares of Norwegian Cruise Line stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 7th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $17.67 per share, with a total value of $442,015.05. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 99,811 shares in the company, valued at $1,763,660.37. This represents a 33.44% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO John Chidsey acquired 153,000 shares of Norwegian Cruise Line stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $16.37 per share, with a total value 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 $18,660,817.80. The trade was a 15.50% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders acquired 1,592,467 shares of company stock valued at $28,493,204. Corporate insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Norwegian Cruise Line by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC now owns 2,068,797 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,176,000 after purchasing an additional 97,825 shares during the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. raised its stake in Norwegian Cruise Line by 341.3% in the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 2,119,090 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,193,000 after purchasing an additional 1,638,889 shares during the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd raised its stake in Norwegian Cruise Line by 1,411.6% in the 3rd quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 363,090 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,943,000 after purchasing an additional 339,070 shares during the last quarter. Channing Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Norwegian Cruise Line in the 3rd quarter valued at $8,592,000. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Norwegian Cruise Line by 28.2% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,048,191 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,447,000 after purchasing an additional 450,951 shares during the last quarter. 69.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Norwegian Cruise Line News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Norwegian Cruise Line this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director Stephen Pagliuca bought a combined 1.38 million shares over two days, spending roughly $24.7 million. Big insider buying often signals management confidence in the company’s outlook and can lift sentiment. Director Stephen Pagliuca buys $25m in NCLH shares
• Positive Sentiment: Loop Capital initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $22 price target, implying room for upside from recent trading levels. Loop Capital coverage note on Norwegian Cruise Line
• Positive Sentiment: The stock has also been supported by the company’s recent earnings beat, with EPS of $0.23 topping estimates and revenue up 9.6% year over year, reinforcing the case that business trends remain solid. Why Is Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) Up 7% Since Last Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Bernstein started NCLH at Market-Perform with an $18 target, which is roughly in line with the stock and suggests limited short-term conviction. Bernstein bullish on top cruise pick Viking, Norwegian gets market-perform rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Management also said 2027 will be a “transition year” amid current pressures, which keeps some caution in the outlook even as investors focus on the insider buying and analyst support. Norwegian Cruise sees 2027 as ‘transition year’ despite current pressures

About Norwegian Cruise Line

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.