CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW) Shares Gap Up on Better-Than-Expected Earnings

CoreCivic, Inc. (NYSE:CXW)’s share price gapped up before the market opened on Thursday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $18.50, but opened at $19.45. CoreCivic shares last traded at $16.3950, with a volume of 532,164 shares.

The real estate investment trust reported $0.52 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.43 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $603.95 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $585.12 million. CoreCivic had a return on equity of 8.07% and a net margin of 5.27%.The business’s revenue was up 26.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.39 EPS.

CoreCivic announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Monday, November 10th that authorizes the company to repurchase $200.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the real estate investment trust to reacquire up to 10.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

CoreCivic News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting CoreCivic this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations: GAAP EPS $0.52 vs. $0.43 est.; revenue $603.95M (+26% YoY) and higher occupancy/facility activations drove the beat. CoreCivic Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised FY‑2026 EPS guidance sharply to $2.540–2.64, well above the prior consensus (~$1.87), signaling confidence in contract demand and margins for the year. Coverage noted the stronger outlook as a catalyst for upside. CoreCivic shares jump as Q4 earnings beat estimates, 2026 outlook strong
• Positive Sentiment: ICE-related business accelerated: management said ICE-related revenue more than doubled YoY as enforcement activity picked up, a direct demand driver for CoreCivic’s facilities. CoreCivic Says ICE Crackdown is Boosting Sales
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive analyst commentary and small‑cap coverage highlight breakout potential, but these are speculative and depend on sustained contract wins and policy environment. Consider Small-Cap Stock CoreCivic Ahead Of Its Breakout
• Negative Sentiment: Political/regulatory risk: a backlash against deportation enforcement has increased public and policy scrutiny of DHS contractors, introducing uncertainty around future contract renewals and new awards. Deportation backlash adds fresh uncertainty for DHS contractors
• Negative Sentiment: Technical and liquidity notes: shares are trading below their 50‑ and 200‑day moving averages and today’s volume is elevated versus average, which can amplify downside on negative headlines or profit‑taking. No external article

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on CXW shares. Wall Street Zen cut CoreCivic from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Jones Trading reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $30.00 target price on shares of CoreCivic in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, CoreCivic currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $34.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CoreCivic

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of CoreCivic by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,713,519 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $242,955,000 after acquiring an additional 138,846 shares during the period. Rubric Capital Management LP lifted its position in CoreCivic by 140.6% in the third quarter. Rubric Capital Management LP now owns 1,961,446 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $39,915,000 after purchasing an additional 1,146,166 shares during the period. Allianz Asset Management GmbH boosted its stake in CoreCivic by 13.8% during the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 1,856,230 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $37,774,000 after purchasing an additional 224,747 shares in the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. increased its position in shares of CoreCivic by 361.3% during the 2nd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,260,637 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $26,562,000 after purchasing an additional 987,375 shares during the period. Finally, Philosophy Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of CoreCivic by 144.9% in the third quarter. Philosophy Capital Management LLC now owns 1,021,373 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $20,785,000 after buying an additional 604,311 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 85.13% of the company’s stock.

CoreCivic Price Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average of $19.16 and a two-hundred day moving average of $19.23. The firm has a market cap of $1.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.50 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a quick ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70.

CoreCivic Company Profile

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.