Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) Stock Price Up 7.3% - Here's Why

Key Points

• Shares of Norwegian Cruise Line rose 7.3% mid-day to about $22.30 (high $22.75) on Thursday, with trading volume around 9.7M shares—roughly 45% below average.
• Analysts are mixed but overall rate the stock a Moderate Buy with a consensus target of $27.05 after several price-target revisions (e.g., Wells Fargo to $33, JPMorgan to $28).
• Norwegian reported $1.20 EPS beating estimates but missed revenue, issued Q4 2025 and FY2025 EPS guidance (0.27 and 2.10 respectively), and shows high leverage (debt-to-equity 6.22) with low current/quick ratios.

Shares of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NCLH - Get Free Report) rose 7.3% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $22.75 and last traded at $22.3020. Approximately 9,705,068 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 45% from the average daily volume of 17,607,475 shares. The stock had previously closed at $20.79.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently issued reports on NCLH shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Norwegian Cruise Line from $29.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from $40.00 to $28.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Zacks Research cut shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Norwegian Cruise Line from $26.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Norwegian Cruise Line from $27.00 to $25.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $27.05.

Norwegian Cruise Line Stock Up 9.6%

The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $21.21 and its 200 day simple moving average is $22.70. The company has a market cap of $10.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.88, a PEG ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 2.07. The company has a current ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.22.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $1.20 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.17 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $2.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.03 billion. Norwegian Cruise Line had a net margin of 6.85% and a return on equity of 55.51%. Norwegian Cruise Line has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 0.270-0.270 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 2.100-2.100 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. will post 1.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Jason Montague bought 13,400 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 6th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $18.81 per share, with a total value of $252,054.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 13,400 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $252,054. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Zillah Byng-Thorne purchased 29,008 shares of Norwegian Cruise Line stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 6th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $18.11 per share, with a total value of $525,334.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 66,017 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,195,567.87. The trade was a 78.38% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have acquired 90,029 shares of company stock worth $1,663,575. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norwegian Cruise Line

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Norwegian Cruise Line by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 52,846,173 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,179,527,000 after purchasing an additional 157,974 shares during the period. Capital International Investors raised its stake in Norwegian Cruise Line by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 52,448,740 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,291,812,000 after acquiring an additional 449,142 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in Norwegian Cruise Line by 3.3% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 16,299,409 shares of the company's stock valued at $330,552,000 after acquiring an additional 524,239 shares during the last quarter. Ariel Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 36.2% in the second quarter. Ariel Investments LLC now owns 12,369,377 shares of the company's stock valued at $250,851,000 after purchasing an additional 3,288,207 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 3.3% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 11,636,194 shares of the company's stock valued at $235,532,000 after purchasing an additional 370,064 shares during the period. 69.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Norwegian Cruise Line

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.

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