CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW) Raised to Buy at Wall Street Zen

CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

Separately, Jones Trading reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $30.00 price target on shares of CoreCivic in a report on Friday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $34.00.

CoreCivic Stock Up 5.9%

NYSE CXW opened at $18.92 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $19.17 and its 200 day simple moving average is $19.22. CoreCivic has a one year low of $15.95 and a one year high of $23.54. The firm has a market cap of $1.98 billion, a PE ratio of 17.51 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 1.41.

CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.43 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $603.95 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $585.12 million. CoreCivic had a return on equity of 8.17% and a net margin of 5.27%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 26.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.39 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that CoreCivic will post 1.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CoreCivic announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Monday, November 10th that permits the company to buyback $200.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the real estate investment trust to reacquire up to 10.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Trading of CoreCivic

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in CoreCivic by 49.2% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 59,523 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $1,207,000 after purchasing an additional 19,630 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of CoreCivic by 69.8% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 28,120 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $571,000 after buying an additional 11,557 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in shares of CoreCivic by 4.6% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 64,828 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $1,315,000 after buying an additional 2,828 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its holdings in CoreCivic by 3,884.2% in the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 18,885 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $383,000 after buying an additional 18,411 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its stake in CoreCivic by 2.3% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 220,467 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $4,473,000 after acquiring an additional 4,977 shares during the last quarter. 85.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More CoreCivic News

Here are the key news stories impacting CoreCivic this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results and management commentary showed a beat on revenue and EPS and a stronger outlook, supporting near-term earnings visibility. CoreCivic (CXW) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised FY‑2026 guidance materially (EPS guidance ~2.54–2.64 vs. consensus ~1.87), signaling stronger free cash flow and earnings power for the year ahead. CoreCivic Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Company is guiding to higher 2026 scale (targeting ~$2.5B revenue and up to $445M EBITDA) driven by expanded federal contracts and facility activations — a clear growth thesis if contracts convert. CoreCivic targets $2.5B revenue and up to $445M EBITDA in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: An analyst (Jones Trading) reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $30 price target, adding third‑party support for upside vs. the current trading level. Benzinga coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Company press/coverage emphasizes federal contract wins and facility activations but notes ongoing market skepticism—illustrates gap between operational progress and market trust. CXW Q4 Deep Dive
• Negative Sentiment: Political and policy risk: reporting highlights a “deportation backlash” that raises uncertainty for DHS contractors — could pressure contract renewals or new awards. Deportation backlash adds fresh uncertainty
• Negative Sentiment: Investor/ESG pressure: coverage highlights an example of a fund walking away despite a strong quarter, underscoring reputational and ESG-driven selling risk. $10 Million Exit article
• Negative Sentiment: Opinion pieces continue to question owning for‑profit prisons, a persistent reputational headwind that can affect long-term investor demand and governance scrutiny. For-profit prisons op-ed

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.