MML Investors Services LLC Increases Stake in Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NCLH)

MML Investors Services LLC has recently increased its holdings in Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NCLH) by 16.0% during the third quarter of this year. This information comes from their most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. After purchasing an additional 2,404 shares, MML Investors Services LLC now owns a total of 17,439 shares of Norwegian Cruise Line, which are valued at approximately $358,000 as of the end of the last quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also adjusted their positions in Norwegian Cruise Line. For instance, Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its stake by 34.1% during the third quarter, securing 1,686 shares valued at around $35,000 after acquiring 429 additional shares. Similarly, Sentry Investment Management LLC entered a new position in the cruise line during the second quarter valued at $39,000. Blue Trust Inc. saw a significant increase of 489.8% in its holdings during the third quarter, now owning 2,188 shares worth approximately $41,000 after boosting its stake by 1,817 shares.

Additionally, Brooklyn Investment Group and Huntington National Bank have also made notable moves, with Brooklyn acquiring a new stake valued at around $56,000 and Huntington increasing its position by 173.1%, owning 3,504 shares worth approximately $72,000 at the end of the quarter. Currently, institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 69.58% of Norwegian Cruise Line's stock.

Current Market Situation for Norwegian Cruise Line

As of Wednesday, shares of Norwegian Cruise Line were trading at $26.42. The company has a market capitalization of $11.62 billion, with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 24.24. Its price-to-earnings growth (P/E/G) ratio stands at 0.30, while the stock has a beta of 2.65. The liquidity ratios for the firm are relatively low, displaying a quick ratio of 0.17 and a current ratio of 0.20. The debt-to-equity ratio of Norwegian Cruise Line is notably high at 10.35. Over the past year, the stock reached a 52-week low of $14.69 and a high of $28.64, with the fifty-day moving average at $26.02 and the two-hundred-day moving average at $21.09.

Norwegian Cruise Line recently reported its earnings on October 31st, delivering $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter, which exceeded analysts' expectations of $0.94 by $0.05. The company's revenue for the quarter amounted to $2.81 billion, outpacing the consensus estimate of $2.77 billion. The cruise line also recorded a remarkable return on equity of 99.31% with a net margin of 5.87%. Year-over-year, the firm's revenue increased by 10.7%, showing growth compared to the previous year's quarter where earnings per share were $0.71. Analysts forecast that Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. will report earnings per share of 1.51 for the current year.

Insider Transactions

In recent insider trading activities, CAO Faye L. Ashby disposed of 38,344 shares on November 8th, at an average price of $27.30, totaling approximately $1,046,791.20. Following this sale, Ashby holds 116,270 shares valued at around $3,174,171, indicating a reduction of 24.80% in position. Additionally, insider Andrea Demarco sold 29,000 shares on November 6th for approximately $805,040.00, now possessing 97,304 shares worth $2,701,159.04, a 22.96% decrease in ownership. Over the last three months, insiders have sold a total of 82,344 shares worth roughly $2,269,731, with insiders collectively owning about 0.52% of the company's stock.

Analyst Recommendations

Equities research analysts have recently shared their insights on Norwegian Cruise Line. Wells Fargo & Company raised its price target for the stock from $21.00 to $27.00 and gave it an 'equal weight' rating. Citigroup upgraded the stock from 'neutral' to 'buy', increasing their target price from $20.00 to $30.00. Macquarie also elevated their price target to $30.00 while assigning an 'outperform' rating. Morgan Stanley has a different perspective, reducing its target from $19.00 to $26.00, maintaining an 'underweight' rating. Lastly, Tigress Financial set a higher target of $36.00 and classified the stock as a 'strong buy.' In summary, among the analysts covering Norwegian Cruise Line, one rated it as a 'sell', seven gave it a 'hold', eight issued a 'buy', and one assigned a 'strong buy' rating. Currently, the stock has an average rating of 'Moderate Buy' with a suggested target price of $29.27.

Overview of Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. operates as a cruise company in various regions, including North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. The company conducts its operations through brands such as Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Their itineraries range from three to 180 days, visiting numerous destinations worldwide, including ports in Scandinavia, the Mediterranean, Hawaii, and the Caribbean.

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