CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW) Sets New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

Posted by George Bondi on Aug 6th, 2026

CoreCivic, Inc. (NYSE:CXW – Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $32.88 and last traded at $32.5150, with a volume of 466356 shares. The stock had previously closed at $31.23.

More CoreCivic News

Here are the key news stories impacting CoreCivic this week:

Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings substantially exceeded expectations. CoreCivic reported second-quarter EPS of $0.64, versus the $0.34 analyst consensus, while revenue reached $684.9 million, above estimates of $618.6 million. Revenue increased 27.3% year over year, and EPS rose from $0.59 in the prior-year quarter. CoreCivic Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
Positive Sentiment: Full-year guidance was raised well above consensus. CoreCivic issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $2.61 to $2.70, compared with the current consensus estimate of $1.81. The wide gap suggests expectations for stronger operating performance and supports the positive investor reaction. CoreCivic Stock Information
Positive Sentiment: CoreCivic completed a $734 million sale of two correctional facilities to the Department of Homeland Security. The company expects approximately $522.5 million in net proceeds after taxes and transaction costs, which could support debt reduction, share repurchases, or other corporate uses. CoreCivic expects to continue managing the facilities under ICE contracts, preserving potential operating revenue. CoreCivic Sells 2 Detention Centers to Department of Homeland Security
Positive Sentiment: The company won a five-year ICE contract for a Minnesota facility. The agreement is expected to generate approximately $75 million in annual revenue once fully operational, reinforcing demand for CoreCivic’s detention capacity. CoreCivic Wins Five-Year ICE Contract for Minnesota Facility
Neutral Sentiment: JonesTrading reaffirmed a “buy” rating but set a $30 price target, below the stock’s recent trading level. Other recent analyst targets include $35 and $41, indicating mixed valuation signals after the rally. JonesTrading CoreCivic Rating
Negative Sentiment: Management cautioned that ICE could modify or terminate management contracts because of policy changes, funding limitations, or convenience. The company cannot guarantee it will continue operating the facilities after their sale, creating execution and government-contract risks.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on CXW shares. UBS Group set a $35.00 price objective on CoreCivic in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Northland Securities set a $40.00 target price on shares of CoreCivic in a report on Friday, June 26th. JonesTrading reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $30.00 price target on shares of CoreCivic in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings upgraded CoreCivic from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Noble Financial upped their target price on shares of CoreCivic from $28.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, CoreCivic presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $36.20.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on CXW

CoreCivic Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 2.44, a quick ratio of 2.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $28.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $22.76. The stock has a market cap of $3.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.09 and a beta of 0.58.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CoreCivic

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. grew its position in CoreCivic by 273.1% in the 1st quarter. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. now owns 2,173,498 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $41,101,000 after purchasing an additional 1,590,940 shares during the last quarter. Rubric Capital Management LP boosted its stake in CoreCivic by 140.6% during the third quarter. Rubric Capital Management LP now owns 1,961,446 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $39,915,000 after buying an additional 1,146,166 shares in the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. raised its stake in shares of CoreCivic by 361.3% in the 2nd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,260,637 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $26,562,000 after buying an additional 987,375 shares in the last quarter. Hatch Cove Capital LLC bought a new stake in CoreCivic in the fourth quarter valued at about $12,951,000. Finally, Philosophy Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of CoreCivic by 144.9% in the 3rd quarter. Philosophy Capital Management LLC now owns 1,021,373 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $20,785,000 after buying an additional 604,311 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.13% of the company’s stock.

CoreCivic Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

CoreCivic, Inc (NYSE: CXW) is a real estate investment trust specializing in the ownership, management and operation of private correctional and detention facilities in the United States. The company enters into contracts with federal, state and local government agencies to house inmates and detainees in facilities that it owns or operates on a concession basis. In addition to traditional prison operations, CoreCivic provides specialized services such as community-based reentry programs, electronic monitoring and rehabilitation initiatives aimed at reducing recidivism.

CoreCivic’s portfolio encompasses a mix of adult correctional facilities, immigration detention centers, residential reentry centers and other community-based programs.