Viking (NYSE:VIK) Cut to "Hold" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Viking from “buy” to “hold,” adding a more cautious view to the stock despite broader analyst sentiment that remains positive.
• Other analysts have mostly been upbeat, with several raising price targets; MarketBeat says Viking still carries an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $84.14.
• Viking’s stock opened at $82.60 and the company reported strong recent results, including $0.67 EPS and $1.72 billion in quarterly revenue, while insiders and institutions remain heavily involved in the name.

Viking (NYSE:VIK - Get Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report issued on Saturday.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Viking from $59.00 to $69.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Viking from $79.00 to $83.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Viking from $87.00 to $104.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $95.00 target price on shares of Viking and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of Viking from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Viking has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $84.14.

Viking Stock Performance

Shares of Viking stock opened at $82.60 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $36.81 billion, a PE ratio of 32.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.57. 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 quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 0.79. Viking has a 1 year low of $42.20 and a 1 year high of $87.00.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Viking

In related news, EVP Jeffrey Dash sold 46,369 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 420,022 shares of the company's stock, valued at $33,698,365.06. This represents a 9.94% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Viking

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in shares of Viking by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 14,619,029 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,043,945,000 after buying an additional 570,672 shares during the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its position in shares of Viking by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 8,611,685 shares of the company's stock valued at $614,960,000 after buying an additional 136,918 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position in shares of Viking by 80.3% during 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 last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Viking during the 4th quarter valued at about $372,297,000. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Viking by 316.8% during the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 4,426,297 shares of the company's stock valued at $316,082,000 after buying an additional 3,364,265 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 98.84% of the company's stock.

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

About Viking

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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