CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW) Raised to “Buy” at Wall Street Zen

CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW) was upgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Monday.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on the company. UBS Group set a $35.00 price objective on CoreCivic in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. JonesTrading reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $30.00 target price on shares of CoreCivic in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Noble Financial increased their price target on CoreCivic from $28.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Weiss Ratings raised CoreCivic from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Benchmark raised their price target on CoreCivic from $41.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, CoreCivic presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $37.00.

CoreCivic Stock Performance

CoreCivic stock opened at $33.86 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $29.71 and a 200-day moving average price of $23.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a current ratio of 1.32. CoreCivic has a fifty-two week low of $15.73 and a fifty-two week high of $34.86. The company has a market capitalization of $3.35 billion, a PE ratio of 27.09 and a beta of 0.58.

CoreCivic declared that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Monday, August 10th that allows the company to buyback $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the real estate investment trust to purchase up to 15.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CoreCivic

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in CoreCivic in the second quarter worth approximately $480,557,000. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of CoreCivic by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,713,519 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $242,955,000 after purchasing an additional 138,846 shares during the last quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of CoreCivic by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC now owns 8,978,240 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $171,574,000 after purchasing an additional 287,108 shares during the last quarter. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. boosted its position in CoreCivic by 273.1% during the first quarter. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. now owns 2,173,498 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $41,101,000 after purchasing an additional 1,590,940 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rubric Capital Management LP boosted its position in CoreCivic by 5.0% during the first quarter. Rubric Capital Management LP now owns 2,059,216 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $38,940,000 after purchasing an additional 97,770 shares in the last quarter. 85.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about CoreCivic

Here are the key news stories impacting CoreCivic this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CoreCivic authorized a $500 million accelerated share repurchase, allowing the company to buy back as much as 15.7% of its outstanding shares. The announcement drove a strong investor response and is the main catalyst behind the stock’s recent advance. CoreCivic Announces $500 Million Accelerated Share Repurchase Agreement
• Positive Sentiment: WallStreetZen upgraded CXW to Buy, adding to the favorable sentiment surrounding the stock. CoreCivic Upgraded to Buy at Wall Street Zen
• Neutral Sentiment: Short interest rose 65.8% in July to 3.57 million shares, or about 3.7% of shares outstanding, with 3.8 days to cover. The increase reflects greater bearish positioning, but it could also amplify any further gains if short sellers are forced to cover.
• Negative Sentiment: Noble Financial reduced its third-quarter 2026 EPS forecast to $0.62 from $0.68 and cut its full-year 2026 estimate to $2.61 from $2.64. The revisions suggest somewhat weaker near-term earnings expectations, although Noble retained an “Outperform” rating. The new annual estimate is also below the broader consensus of $2.66 per share.

CoreCivic Company Profile

CoreCivic, Inc (NYSE: CXW) is a real estate investment trust specializing in the ownership, management and operation of private correctional and detention facilities in the United States. The company enters into contracts with federal, state and local government agencies to house inmates and detainees in facilities that it owns or operates on a concession basis. In addition to traditional prison operations, CoreCivic provides specialized services such as community-based reentry programs, electronic monitoring and rehabilitation initiatives aimed at reducing recidivism.

CoreCivic’s portfolio encompasses a mix of adult correctional facilities, immigration detention centers, residential reentry centers and other community-based programs.