Zacks Research Upgrades Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) to Hold

Posted by Brian Himes on Jul 8th, 2026

Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH – Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Norwegian Cruise Line from $23.00 to $20.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Loop Capital began coverage on Norwegian Cruise Line in a research note on Monday, June 1st. They set a “buy” rating and a $22.00 price objective for the company. Barclays dropped their price objective on Norwegian Cruise Line from $21.00 to $19.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $14.00 price target on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Tigress Financial dropped their price target on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from $38.00 to $32.00 and set a “strong-buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and thirteen have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.55.

Get Our Latest Research Report on NCLH

Norwegian Cruise Line Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:NCLH opened at $18.85 on Monday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $18.41 and its 200 day simple moving average is $20.44. The company has a market cap of $8.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.84, a PEG ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.87. 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 one year low of $14.53 and a one year high of $27.18.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.15 by $0.08. Norwegian Cruise Line had a return on equity of 47.84% and a net margin of 5.66%.The firm had revenue of $2.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.36 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.07 EPS. Norwegian Cruise Line’s quarterly revenue was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Norwegian Cruise Line will post 1.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Norwegian Cruise Line

In related news, Director Jonathan Z. Cohen purchased 30,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $15.83 per share, for a total transaction of $474,900.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 38,912 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $615,976.96. This trade represents a 336.62% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Stephen G. Pagliuca purchased 685,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $18.06 per share, for a total transaction of $12,371,100.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 1,388,912 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,083,750.72. The trade was a 97.31% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have bought 1,592,467 shares of company stock worth $28,493,204 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norwegian Cruise Line

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Elliott Investment Management L.P. bought a new position in Norwegian Cruise Line in the 1st quarter worth about $246,578,000. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 1,505.9% during the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 6,793,256 shares of the company’s stock valued at $151,625,000 after buying an additional 6,370,241 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors boosted its position in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 7.1% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 56,177,669 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,253,886,000 after buying an additional 3,728,929 shares during the period. California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its position in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 358.8% during the first quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 3,675,830 shares of the company’s stock worth $68,738,000 after buying an additional 2,874,730 shares during the period. Finally, Freestone Grove Partners LP grew its holdings in Norwegian Cruise Line by 338.8% in the 3rd quarter. Freestone Grove Partners LP now owns 3,690,333 shares of the company’s stock worth $90,893,000 after buying an additional 2,849,349 shares in the last quarter. 69.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Norwegian Cruise Line Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.