BMO Capital Markets Upgrades Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) to “Hold”

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

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $18.00 price objective on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Zacks Research upgraded Norwegian Cruise Line from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday. Freedom Capital raised Norwegian Cruise Line to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on Norwegian Cruise Line in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $18.00 price target on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and thirteen have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Norwegian Cruise Line currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $21.55.

Norwegian Cruise Line Trading Down 1.8%

NCLH opened at $18.50 on Tuesday. Norwegian Cruise Line has a 52 week low of $14.53 and a 52 week high of $27.18. The company has a market capitalization of $8.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.55, a PEG ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.87. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $18.42 and its two-hundred day moving average is $20.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.75.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 the consensus estimate of $2.36 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.07 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. 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. Analysts forecast that Norwegian Cruise Line will post 1.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Norwegian Cruise Line news, Director Jonathan Z. Cohen purchased 30,000 shares of Norwegian Cruise Line stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $15.83 per share, with a total value of $474,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 38,912 shares in the company, valued at approximately $615,976.96. This trade represents a 336.62% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO John Chidsey acquired 153,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 22nd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $16.37 per share, with a total value of $2,504,610.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 1,139,940 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,660,817.80. The trade was a 15.50% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders acquired a total of 1,592,467 shares of company stock valued at $28,493,204 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.25% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norwegian Cruise Line

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 5.0% in the fourth quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC now owns 2,068,797 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,176,000 after buying an additional 97,825 shares during the last quarter. MKP Capital Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line during the fourth quarter worth $44,640,000. Penn Capital Management Company LLC grew its holdings in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 27.4% during the third quarter. Penn Capital Management Company LLC now owns 587,762 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,520,000 after buying an additional 126,374 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line during the fourth quarter valued at $46,663,000. Finally, Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line in the 1st quarter valued at $42,761,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.58% of the company’s stock.

Norwegian Cruise Line News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised earnings estimates for multiple future periods, including FY2026, FY2027, and FY2028, signaling expectations for improved profitability over time. Zacks Research EPS estimate updates
• Positive Sentiment: Norwegian Cruise Line appointed Lee D. Applbaum as Chief Marketing Officer, a move that could support premium branding and help improve customer demand and market positioning. Norwegian Cruise Line appoints CMO
• Neutral Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets reiterated a hold view on NCLH, while another note compared Norwegian unfavorably with Royal Caribbean and Viking on execution and long-term upside. BMO cruise sector commentary
• Neutral Sentiment: The company was removed from several Russell growth benchmarks, which may have reduced passive index demand and added near-term trading pressure. Russell index removals article
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains cautious overall, with multiple firms keeping NCLH at hold and comparisons suggesting Royal Caribbean may be the stronger cruise-name preference right now. Cruise analyst comparison article

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.