CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Monday.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Benchmark upped their target price on shares of CoreCivic from $41.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. JonesTrading reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $30.00 price target on shares of CoreCivic in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. UBS Group set a $35.00 price objective on shares of CoreCivic in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Northland Securities set a $40.00 price objective on shares of CoreCivic in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded CoreCivic from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, CoreCivic presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $37.00.

CoreCivic Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:CXW opened at $33.52 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86. CoreCivic has a 52-week low of $15.73 and a 52-week high of $34.86. The company has a 50 day moving average of $29.94 and a two-hundred day moving average of $23.21. The company has a market capitalization of $3.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.82 and a beta of 0.58.

CoreCivic declared that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Monday, August 10th that allows the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization allows the real estate investment trust to repurchase up to 15.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Lucibeth Mayberry sold 120,000 shares of CoreCivic stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.29, for a total value of $3,994,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 149,329 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,971,162.41. The trade was a 44.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Devin Ignatius Murphy sold 8,098 shares of CoreCivic stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.79, for a total transaction of $273,631.42. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 63,826 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,156,680.54. This trade represents a 11.26% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 1.76% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CoreCivic

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CXW. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of CoreCivic in the 2nd quarter valued at about $923,000. EP Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in CoreCivic in the second quarter worth about $312,000. Ieq Capital LLC bought a new stake in CoreCivic in the second quarter valued at about $211,000. JB Capital Partners LP bought a new stake in CoreCivic in the second quarter valued at about $25,677,480,000. Finally, BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in CoreCivic during the second quarter valued at approximately $480,557,000. Institutional investors own 85.13% of the company’s stock.

CoreCivic News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting CoreCivic this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Large buyback supports valuation: CoreCivic authorized a $500 million repurchase program, allowing the company to buy back as much as 15.7% of its outstanding shares. The authorization may support earnings per share and signals that management views the stock as undervalued. CoreCivic shares climb 5% after launching $500 million accelerated buyback
• Positive Sentiment: Higher FY2027 forecast: Noble Financial raised its FY2027 earnings-per-share estimate to $3.19 from $2.73 and maintained an “Outperform” rating. The increase suggests expectations for stronger profitability over the longer term.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed earnings revisions: Noble Financial lowered its Q3 2026 EPS estimate to $0.62 from $0.68 and trimmed its FY2026 estimate to $2.61 from $2.64. However, the firm’s longer-term FY2027 upgrade partially offsets the near-term caution.
• Neutral Sentiment: Q2 earnings-call discussion: Coverage of the company’s top analyst questions from its second-quarter earnings call could provide additional insight into operating trends, facility demand, government contracts and management’s outlook. The top 5 analyst questions from CoreCivic’s Q2 earnings call
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling adds pressure: EVP Lucibeth Mayberry sold 120,000 shares worth approximately $4.0 million, reducing her holdings by 44.56%. Director Devin Ignatius Murphy also sold 8,098 shares worth about $273,600. While insider sales do not necessarily indicate deteriorating fundamentals, the size and timing of the transactions may concern investors.
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest increased sharply: Shares sold short rose 65.8% from mid-July to July 31, reaching about 3.57 million shares, or 3.7% of the float. The increase indicates growing bearish positioning and may contribute to volatility.

About CoreCivic

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.