CenterBook Partners LP Makes New Investment in Viking Holdings Ltd. $VIK

Key Points

• CenterBook Partners LP disclosed a new fourth-quarter stake in Viking Holdings Ltd., buying 32,543 shares valued at about $2.3 million.
• Institutional interest in Viking remains strong, with several other funds adding positions and 98.84% of the stock now owned by institutional investors.
• Analyst sentiment is positive: Bernstein started coverage with an Outperform rating and a $120 price target, while Wall Street Zen upgraded the stock to Buy.

CenterBook Partners LP purchased a new stake in Viking Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:VIK - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 32,543 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,324,000.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Prosperity Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Viking during the fourth quarter worth $1,114,000. Hiddenite Capital Partners LP bought a new stake in Viking in the 4th quarter valued at $3,213,000. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC grew its position in Viking by 39.2% in the 4th quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 956,147 shares of the company's stock worth $68,278,000 after purchasing an additional 269,274 shares during the last quarter. World Investment Advisors acquired a new stake in Viking in the 4th quarter worth $1,151,000. Finally, Lecap Asset Management Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Viking during the 4th quarter worth about $567,000. 98.84% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Viking

Here are the key news stories impacting Viking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein initiated coverage of Viking Holdings Ltd. (VIK) with an Outperform rating and a $120 price target, saying it has a “structurally bullish view” on the cruise industry. Bernstein Initiates Coverage of Viking Holdings (VIK) With a “Structurally Bullish View” on the Cruise Industry
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street Zen upgraded Viking Holdings Ltd. (VIK) to Buy, adding to the positive analyst tone around the stock. Viking NYSE: VIK Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to "Buy" Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Several travel features highlighted Viking cruises and passenger experiences, including first-time cruiser tips and examples of Viking’s premium river and ocean itineraries. These stories help keep the brand visible, but they are not direct financial catalysts. What no one tells first time Viking cruisers before they board
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional articles focused on what costs extra aboard Viking cruises and a Mississippi River itinerary, which may support consumer interest in the brand but do not materially change the investment outlook. This is what you still pay extra for on a Viking Ocean cruise

Viking Stock Performance

NYSE:VIK opened at $90.11 on Wednesday. Viking Holdings Ltd. has a 12-month low of $46.06 and a 12-month high of $93.70. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.16 billion, a PE ratio of 33.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.59. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $82.60 and a 200 day moving average price of $75.57.

Viking (NYSE:VIK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The company reported ($0.11) earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.11). Viking had a return on equity of 149.40% and a net margin of 18.00%.The company had revenue of $1.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.01 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned ($0.24) earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 17.5% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Viking Holdings Ltd. will post 3.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Viking news, EVP Jeffrey Dash sold 46,369 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.23, for a total value of $3,720,184.87. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 420,022 shares in the company, valued at $33,698,365.06. This represents a 9.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Viking from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $95.00 price target on Viking and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Viking in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on Viking in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. They set an "outperform" rating and a $120.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on Viking from $76.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $96.38.

Viking Company Profile

Viking Holdings Ltd engages in the passenger shipping and other forms of passenger transport in North America, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates through River and Ocean segments. The company also operates as a tour entrepreneur for passengers and related activities in tourism. As of December 31, 2023, it operated a fleet of 92 ships, including 81 river vessels comprising 58 Longships, 10 smaller classes based on the Longship design, 11 other river vessels, and 1 river vessel charter and the Viking Mississippi; 9 ocean ships; and 2 expedition ships.

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