Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) Raised to Hold at BMO Capital Markets

Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) was upgraded by research analysts at BMO Capital Markets to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on the company. Citigroup raised their price objective on Norwegian Cruise Line from $21.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. Susquehanna decreased their target price on Norwegian Cruise Line from $20.00 to $15.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Mizuho dropped their target price on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from $27.00 to $24.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Loop Capital initiated coverage on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line in a report on Monday, June 1st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $22.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from $28.00 to $27.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and thirteen have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Norwegian Cruise Line currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $21.55.

Norwegian Cruise Line Price Performance

NCLH opened at $18.50 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $18.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $20.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.75, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a current ratio of 0.21. Norwegian Cruise Line has a 1 year low of $14.53 and a 1 year high of $27.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.49 billion, a PE ratio of 15.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.87.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The company reported $0.23 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $2.33 billion during 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 revenue for the quarter was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business 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. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Norwegian Cruise Line will post 1.51 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO John Chidsey purchased 153,000 shares of Norwegian Cruise Line stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $16.37 per share, with a total value of $2,504,610.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,139,940 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,660,817.80. The trade was a 15.50% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Zillah Byng-Thorne acquired 4,452 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $17.83 per share, with a total value of $79,379.16. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 25,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $458,979.86. This represents a 20.91% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have acquired 1,592,467 shares of company stock valued at $28,493,204. Corporate insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norwegian Cruise Line

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 18,110 shares of the company’s stock valued at $404,000 after acquiring an additional 428 shares in the last quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama boosted its holdings in Norwegian Cruise Line by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 96,848 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,162,000 after purchasing an additional 443 shares during the last quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund boosted its holdings in Norwegian Cruise Line by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 52,142 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,164,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board grew its stake in Norwegian Cruise Line by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board now owns 20,700 shares of the company’s stock valued at $462,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prospera Financial Services Inc grew its stake in Norwegian Cruise Line by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 28,603 shares of the company’s stock valued at $638,000 after purchasing an additional 502 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.58% of the company’s stock.

Norwegian Cruise Line News Roundup

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.