Zacks Research Has Strong Forecast for NCLH FY2026 Earnings

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NCLH) – Research analysts at Zacks Research increased their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Norwegian Cruise Line in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, July 7th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $1.51 per share for the year, up from their prior estimate of $1.50. Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Norwegian Cruise Line’s current full-year earnings is $1.51 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Norwegian Cruise Line’s Q4 2026 earnings at $0.03 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.08 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.43 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.02 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.11 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $1.65 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $0.42 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $1.99 EPS.

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 the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $2.33 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.36 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.07 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue 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.

Several other analysts also recently commented on NCLH. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $14.00 target price on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $18.00 price target on the stock. TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $18.00 price objective on Norwegian Cruise Line in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Norwegian Cruise Line from $19.00 to $18.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and thirteen have assigned 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 Price Performance

NYSE:NCLH opened at $18.50 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $8.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.87. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $18.42 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $20.41. Norwegian Cruise Line has a one year low of $14.53 and a one year high of $27.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.75, a current ratio of 0.21 and a quick ratio of 0.18.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO John Chidsey bought 153,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 22nd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $16.37 per share, for a total transaction of $2,504,610.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,139,940 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,660,817.80. This represents a 15.50% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Stephen G. Pagliuca purchased 695,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $18.16 per share, with a total value of $12,621,200.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 703,912 shares in the company, valued at $12,783,041.92. This trade represents a 7,798.47% increase in their position. 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 in the last 90 days. 0.25% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norwegian Cruise Line

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. SHP Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new stake in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Norwegian Cruise Line in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Norwegian Cruise Line by 130.2% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,607 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 909 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aventura Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Norwegian Cruise Line in the fourth quarter valued at about $42,000. 69.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Norwegian Cruise Line

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research lifted its EPS estimates for several future quarters and full years, signaling stronger expected earnings growth for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. Norwegian Cruise Line stock page
• Positive Sentiment: FY2026 earnings were nudged higher to $1.51 per share, matching the consensus estimate and reinforcing expectations for steady near-term profitability.
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term estimates also improved, with FY2027 raised to $1.65 and FY2028 to $1.99, which may support investor confidence in the company’s earnings trajectory.
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite the higher estimates, Zacks kept its rating at Hold, indicating the firm sees limited immediate upside relative to risk.
• Negative Sentiment: Separate recent coverage noted that Norwegian Cruise Line was removed from several Russell growth benchmarks, which could reduce passive fund demand and create some technical pressure on the shares. Russell index removals article
• Negative Sentiment: Broader cruise-sector commentary has favored Royal Caribbean and Viking over NCLH, suggesting investors remain cautious about Norwegian Cruise Line’s competitive positioning. Cruise sector analyst article

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.