Stock Traders Buy High Volume of Call Options on Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH)

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NCLH) saw unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Stock investors purchased 31,695 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 31% compared to the average volume of 24,195 call options.

Norwegian Cruise Line Stock Performance

Shares of NCLH stock opened at $22.92 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.22. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $22.10 and a 200-day simple moving average of $22.65. The company has a market cap of $10.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 2.06. Norwegian Cruise Line has a 12-month low of $14.21 and a 12-month high of $27.41.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Capital International Investors grew its holdings in Norwegian Cruise Line by 7.1% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 56,177,669 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,253,886,000 after purchasing an additional 3,728,929 shares during the period. Ariel Investments LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 36.2% in the 2nd quarter. Ariel Investments LLC now owns 12,369,377 shares of the company’s stock valued at $250,851,000 after purchasing an additional 3,288,207 shares during the last quarter. Freestone Grove Partners LP grew its stake in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 338.8% during the 3rd quarter. Freestone Grove Partners LP now owns 3,690,333 shares of the company’s stock valued at $90,893,000 after buying an additional 2,849,349 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line during the 2nd quarter worth $49,620,000. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. raised its position in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 626.3% in the 3rd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 2,771,061 shares of the company’s stock worth $68,251,000 after buying an additional 2,389,540 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.58% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on NCLH shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from $29.00 to $33.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Truist Financial dropped their price target on Norwegian Cruise Line from $31.00 to $26.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Norwegian Cruise Line from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $23.00 to $21.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Mizuho lifted their target price on Norwegian Cruise Line from $29.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $26.74.

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.