Wall Street Zen Upgrades Viking (NYSE:VIK) to “Buy”

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

Several other research firms also recently issued reports on VIK. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Viking from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $60.00 to $80.00 in a report on Monday, December 15th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of Viking from $59.00 to $61.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Viking from $73.00 to $74.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Viking from $77.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Viking from $63.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Viking has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $72.40.

Viking Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VIK opened at $68.89 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $30.53 billion, a PE ratio of 26.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.76, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 0.79. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $73.59 and a 200-day moving average of $66.82. Viking has a one year low of $31.79 and a one year high of $81.48.

Viking (NYSE:VIK) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The company reported $0.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.54 by $0.13. Viking had a return on equity of 240.75% and a net margin of 17.65%.The business had revenue of $1.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.63 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.45 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 27.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Viking will post 1.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Viking

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Activest Wealth Management grew its position in Viking by 19,500.0% during the fourth quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 392 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 390 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new position in shares of Viking during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Viking by 316.0% in the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 316 shares during the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Viking by 651.8% in the fourth quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 421 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 365 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Viking during the third quarter worth $26,000. 98.84% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Viking

Here are the key news stories impacting Viking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management says suspended Nile/Egypt river cruises will be resumed for upcoming sailings, limiting revenue disruption from earlier cancellations. Viking reverses course, will resume upcoming Egypt river cruises
• Positive Sentiment: Travel Weekly reports Viking plans a phased resumption of suspended Nile cruises — a direct revenue-restoration signal for affected itineraries (Egypt exposure is reported to be a small portion of total revenue). Viking plans resumption of suspended Nile cruises
• Positive Sentiment: Viking reported strong results in its recent quarter (EPS and revenue beat) and was highlighted by MarketBeat as delivering a “great” report versus peers — this supports longer‑term demand and premium valuation. Norwegian Hit Rough Seas After Earnings—Viking Cruised Through
• Positive Sentiment: Company commentary and industry coverage point to fleet strategy (fuel efficiency, upcoming hydrogen ship) and record 2025 results as drivers of margin improvement and premium positioning. Viking: Fleet Strategy Key Driver to Financial Performance
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/sector pieces include VIK on lists of leisure stocks to consider and compare against peers (Zacks pieces comparing VIK to EXPE and naming it among 5 leisure stocks), which can support interest but doesn’t guarantee price upside. EXPE or VIK: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now? 5 Leisure and Recreation Stocks to Buy Amid Strong Demand in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Shipyard “disruptions” have forced adjustments to Viking’s river vessel deliveries — a near‑term headwind to capacity growth and longer‑term revenue expansion expectations. Viking river deliveries adjusted on shipyard ‘disruptions’
• Negative Sentiment: Earlier cancellations of Nile cruises and the geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East (which can lift fuel prices) remain risk factors that could cap short‑term multiple expansion. Viking cancels Nile River cruises through March
• Negative Sentiment: Mizuho recently raised Viking’s price target but left an “underperform” rating — an example of mixed analyst sentiment that can weigh on the stock when investors worry about valuation versus downside risk. Benzinga note on Mizuho price target change

Viking Company Profile

Viking Holdings Ltd engages in the passenger shipping and other forms of passenger transport in North America, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates through River and Ocean segments. The company also operates as a tour entrepreneur for passengers and related activities in tourism. As of December 31, 2023, it operated a fleet of 92 ships, including 81 river vessels comprising 58 Longships, 10 smaller classes based on the Longship design, 11 other river vessels, and 1 river vessel charter and the Viking Mississippi; 9 ocean ships; and 2 expedition ships.