Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) Stock Rating Upgraded by BMO Capital Markets

Posted by Francis Steltz on Jul 9th, 2026

Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH – Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at BMO Capital Markets to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other brokerages have also weighed in on NCLH. Freedom Capital raised Norwegian Cruise Line to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Loop Capital started coverage on Norwegian Cruise Line in a report on Monday, June 1st. They set a “buy” rating and a $22.00 target price on the stock. Truist Financial decreased their target price on Norwegian Cruise Line from $25.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Norwegian Cruise Line from $19.00 to $18.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price target 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. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and thirteen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Norwegian Cruise Line presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $21.55.

Get Our Latest Research Report on NCLH

Norwegian Cruise Line Trading Down 1.8%

NYSE NCLH opened at $18.50 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $8.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.75, a current ratio of 0.21 and a quick ratio of 0.18. Norwegian Cruise Line has a 12 month low of $14.53 and a 12 month high of $27.18. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $18.42 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $20.41.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $2.33 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.36 billion. Norwegian Cruise Line had a net margin of 5.66% and a return on equity of 47.84%. The company’s revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.07 EPS. 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. As a group, research analysts predict 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 bought 30,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $15.83 per share, for a total transaction of $474,900.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 38,912 shares in the company, valued at approximately $615,976.96. The trade was a 336.62% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Stephen G. Pagliuca bought 685,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $18.06 per share, with a total value of $12,371,100.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 1,388,912 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $25,083,750.72. The trade was a 97.31% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 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 Trading of Norwegian Cruise Line

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC increased its position in Norwegian Cruise Line by 26.7% in the first quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 23,133 shares of the company’s stock worth $439,000 after buying an additional 4,872 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 4.3% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 48,346 shares of the company’s stock worth $917,000 after acquiring an additional 2,002 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP grew its position in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 40.7% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 37,149 shares of the company’s stock worth $704,000 after acquiring an additional 10,743 shares during the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC increased its holdings in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 133.0% in the 2nd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 38,904 shares of the company’s stock worth $789,000 after acquiring an additional 22,204 shares during the period. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System lifted its position in Norwegian Cruise Line by 5.1% in the 2nd quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 766,825 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,551,000 after purchasing an additional 37,071 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.58% of the company’s stock.

Norwegian Cruise Line News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Norwegian Cruise Line this week:

Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research lifted its EPS estimates for several future quarters and full years, signaling stronger expected earnings growth for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. Norwegian Cruise Line stock page
Positive Sentiment: FY2026 earnings were nudged higher to $1.51 per share, matching the consensus estimate and reinforcing expectations for steady near-term profitability.
Positive Sentiment: Longer-term estimates also improved, with FY2027 raised to $1.65 and FY2028 to $1.99, which may support investor confidence in the company’s earnings trajectory.
Neutral Sentiment: Despite the higher estimates, Zacks kept its rating at Hold, indicating the firm sees limited immediate upside relative to risk.
Negative Sentiment: Separate recent coverage noted that Norwegian Cruise Line was removed from several Russell growth benchmarks, which could reduce passive fund demand and create some technical pressure on the shares. Russell index removals article
Negative Sentiment: Broader cruise-sector commentary has favored Royal Caribbean and Viking over NCLH, suggesting investors remain cautious about Norwegian Cruise Line’s competitive positioning. Cruise sector analyst article

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.