Nicholas Company Inc. Acquires 17,465 Shares of Viking Holdings Ltd. $VIK

Key Points

• Nicholas Company Inc. boosted its Viking Holdings stake by 12.1% in the fourth quarter, buying 17,465 more shares and bringing its total to 161,250 shares worth about $11.5 million.
• Viking stock was roughly flat at $82.60, near its 52-week high of $87.00, with the company carrying a high debt-to-equity ratio of 4.76 and a market cap of $36.81 billion.
• Analysts remain generally constructive on the name, with an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $84.14, though some recent commentary warned of a potentially weaker earnings setup ahead.

Nicholas Company Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Viking Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:VIK - Free Report) by 12.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 161,250 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 17,465 shares during the quarter. Nicholas Company Inc.'s holdings in Viking were worth $11,515,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in Viking by 32.8% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 14,048,357 shares of the company's stock valued at $873,246,000 after buying an additional 3,471,244 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc. increased its holdings in Viking by 381.8% in the 3rd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 8,474,767 shares of the company's stock valued at $526,792,000 after buying an additional 6,715,666 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its holdings in Viking by 80.3% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 8,117,783 shares of the company's stock valued at $504,601,000 after buying an additional 3,615,969 shares during the period. Dream Peak Capital Ltd bought a new position in Viking in the 4th quarter valued at about $223,744,000. Finally, Artisan Partners Limited Partnership increased its holdings in Viking by 33.9% in the 3rd quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 2,944,248 shares of the company's stock valued at $183,014,000 after buying an additional 745,509 shares during the period. 98.84% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Viking Stock Down 0.1%

NYSE:VIK opened at $82.60 on Monday. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $76.12 and its 200 day simple moving average is $71.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.76, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.77. Viking Holdings Ltd. has a one year low of $42.20 and a one year high of $87.00. The company has a market cap of $36.81 billion, a PE ratio of 32.14, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.57.

Viking (NYSE:VIK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Saturday, February 14th. The company reported $0.67 EPS for the quarter. Viking had a net margin of 17.65% and a return on equity of 240.75%. The business had revenue of $1.72 billion for the quarter. On average, research analysts anticipate that Viking Holdings Ltd. will post 3.31 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Viking

In other Viking news, EVP Jeffrey Dash sold 46,369 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.23, for a total transaction of $3,720,184.87. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 420,022 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,698,365.06. This trade represents a 9.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Key Headlines Impacting Viking

Here are the key news stories impacting Viking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Recent travel coverage highlighting Viking Ocean Cruises’ deluxe veranda cabins could support the brand’s premium image and reinforce demand for its higher-end cruise offerings. What Viking Deluxe Veranda cabins really look like inside
• Neutral Sentiment: Another travel article about unexpected add-on costs on Viking Ocean Cruises may draw attention to pricing transparency, but it does not directly signal a material change in demand or earnings. What Viking Ocean Cruises don’t spell out until the bill starts growing
• Neutral Sentiment: Historical and archaeological stories about Vikings, including a gold hoard in Denmark and Viking-era coins turned into jewelry, are not tied to Viking Holdings’ operating results, but they keep the “Viking” name in the news. Major Gold Hoard of Viking Elite Unearthed in Denmark Coins minted to protect the English from the Vikings ended up as Viking jewelry, experts discover
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks says Viking Holdings may report negative earnings next week, citing an unfavorable setup for an earnings beat; that pre-earnings caution is likely pressuring the stock. Viking Holdings (VIK) May Report Negative Earnings: Know the Trend Ahead of Next Week's Release

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Susquehanna assumed coverage on shares of Viking in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. They issued a "positive" rating and a $100.00 target price on the stock. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Viking from $77.00 to $76.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 10th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Viking from $75.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of Viking from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Viking from $87.00 to $104.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $84.14.

Viking 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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