Insider Buying: Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) CEO Buys 153,000 Shares of Stock

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NCLH) CEO John Chidsey purchased 153,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 22nd. The stock was acquired at an average price of $16.37 per share, with a total value of $2,504,610.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,139,940 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,660,817.80. The trade was a 15.50% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Norwegian Cruise Line Stock Up 4.8%

Shares of NCLH stock traded up $0.78 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $17.08. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 22,222,231 shares, compared to its average volume of 22,527,842. The stock has a market cap of $7.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.35, a PEG ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 1.92. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $18.45 and a 200 day moving average price of $20.31. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. has a 52-week low of $14.53 and a 52-week high of $27.18. 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 (NYSE:NCLH) last issued its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $2.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.36 billion. Norwegian Cruise Line had a net margin of 5.66% and a return on equity of 47.84%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.07 earnings per share. 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. Research analysts predict that Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. will post 1.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on NCLH shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Norwegian Cruise Line from $19.00 to $18.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $18.00 target price on Norwegian Cruise Line in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $14.00 target price on Norwegian Cruise Line in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Northcoast Research cut Norwegian Cruise Line from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Zacks Research cut Norwegian Cruise Line from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $21.06.

Institutional Trading of Norwegian Cruise Line

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Norwegian Cruise Line by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC now owns 2,068,797 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,176,000 after purchasing an additional 97,825 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. raised its stake in Norwegian Cruise Line by 341.3% during the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 2,119,090 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,193,000 after purchasing an additional 1,638,889 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund raised its stake in Norwegian Cruise Line by 23.3% during the 3rd quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 593,189 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,610,000 after purchasing an additional 111,982 shares during the period. WINTON GROUP Ltd raised its stake in Norwegian Cruise Line by 1,411.6% during the 3rd quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 363,090 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,943,000 after purchasing an additional 339,070 shares during the period. Finally, Channing Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Norwegian Cruise Line in the 3rd quarter valued at $8,592,000. Institutional investors own 69.58% of the company’s stock.

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.