Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) Shares Gap Down Following Analyst Downgrade

Shares of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NCLH) gapped down prior to trading on Friday after Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on the stock from $32.00 to $31.00. The stock had previously closed at $23.25, but opened at $21.98. Stifel Nicolaus currently has a buy rating on the stock. Norwegian Cruise Line shares last traded at $22.2780, with a volume of 9,958,821 shares trading hands.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Susquehanna decreased their target price on Norwegian Cruise Line from $25.00 to $21.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $26.00 to $20.00 in a report on Monday, December 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $23.00 to $21.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Truist Financial decreased their price target on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from $31.00 to $26.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, Barclays cut shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $23.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Wednesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $26.32.

More Norwegian Cruise Line News

Here are the key news stories impacting Norwegian Cruise Line this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company raised FY‑2025 and Q4‑2025 EPS guidance (FY EPS 2.10 vs. consensus ~2.03; Q4 EPS 0.27 vs. consensus ~0.25) — suggests stronger near‑term profitability than investors expected.
• Positive Sentiment: Longer‑term bull case: analysts and commentaries highlight a deep valuation discount to peers and potential benefit from a strong wave season, calling the shares an attractive value opportunity. Seeking Alpha
• Positive Sentiment: Value analysts point to favorable style scores that make NCLH appealing to value and contrarian investors. Zacks
• Neutral Sentiment: Company scheduled a conference call to report Q4 and full‑year 2025 results on March 2 — an upcoming event that will provide more color on guidance drivers and margin trends.
• Negative Sentiment: CEO change: Board appointed John W. Chidsey as President & CEO; the initial market reaction was negative, with shares falling after the announcement — investors may be concerned about transition risk and execution under new leadership. Benzinga Press Release
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and price‑target cuts followed: JPMorgan trimmed its price target materially (prior $28 → $20) while keeping a neutral rating, and Barclays also downgraded the stock — increased analyst skepticism can pressure the share price. TickerReport / JPMorgan note Barclays
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage notes and reviews emphasize that NCLH has lagged peers (Royal Caribbean, Carnival) and recent commentary led to downgrades/diminished sentiment. Barron’s

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC increased its holdings in Norwegian Cruise Line by 26.7% in the first quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 23,133 shares of the company’s stock valued at $439,000 after purchasing an additional 4,872 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 4.3% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 48,346 shares of the company’s stock worth $917,000 after buying an additional 2,002 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP increased its stake in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 40.7% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 37,149 shares of the company’s stock valued at $704,000 after acquiring an additional 10,743 shares during the last quarter. Callan Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $252,000. Finally, Apollon Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 47.5% in the 2nd quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 20,731 shares of the company’s stock valued at $420,000 after acquiring an additional 6,673 shares during the period. 69.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Norwegian Cruise Line Stock Down 7.4%

The firm has a market cap of $9.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 2.06. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $22.25 and its two-hundred day moving average is $22.64. The company has a current ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.22.

Norwegian Cruise Line Company Profile

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.