Jefferies Financial Group Initiates Coverage on Norwegian Cruise Line

Jefferies Financial Group has officially started coverage on the shares of Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) as of Monday. In their research report, the analysts set a "buy" rating for the company, along with a price target of $25.00 per share. This new price objective suggests a potential upside of 30.45% based on Norwegian Cruise Line's most recent closing price.

Recent Analyst Opinions

The stock has been the subject of interest from several analysts recently. On March 11, Tigress Financial reiterated a "strong-buy" rating and issued a price target of $36.00 for Norwegian Cruise Line. Additionally, on March 21, Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock from an "underweight" to an "equal weight" rating, while also lowering their price target from $27.00 to $22.00. Citigroup played its part by raising its price objective from $32.00 to $34.00, confirming a "buy" rating on February 28. Similarly, Barclays increased its rating from "equal weight" to "overweight" and adjusted their target price from $28.00 to $32.00 on December 13. Lastly, BNP Paribas began its coverage on Norwegian Cruise Line with a "neutral" rating and a target price of $21.00.

Overall Market Sentiment

As it currently stands, nine research analysts have assigned a hold rating to Norwegian Cruise Line, while ten have given it a buy rating. Only one analyst has rated it as a strong buy. According to MarketBeat, the consensus rating for the stock falls under the category of "Moderate Buy," with an average price target set at $28.28.

Stock Performance Overview

The stock opened at $19.17 on Monday. Over the past year, Norwegian Cruise Line has experienced a low of $14.69 and a high of $29.29. The company maintains a 50-day moving average of $23.88 and a two-hundred day moving average of $24.40. It currently holds a market capitalization of $8.43 billion, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.58 and a PEG ratio of 0.24. Furthermore, its debt-to-equity ratio is at 10.35, and liquidity ratios, such as the current ratio and quick ratio, stand at 0.20 and 0.17 respectively.

Institutional Investment Trends

Recently, numerous institutional investors have made notable adjustments to their holdings in Norwegian Cruise Line. Capital International Investors raised its stake by 11.2% in the fourth quarter, now owning 55,194,672 shares valued at $1.42 billion after acquiring 5,557,951 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank added a new position worth approximately $113,156,000 during the same timeframe. Two Sigma Advisers LP saw a significant increase, lifting their position by 99.0% and holding 7,689,200 shares worth $197.84 million after buying an additional 3,824,600 shares. Likewise, Voloridge Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings by a staggering 3,403.3%, achieving ownership of 3,374,576 shares valued at $86.83 million. Renaissance Technologies LLC expanded its position by 113.1%, now owning 5,577,231 shares valued at $143.50 million. Overall, institutional investors hold 69.58% of Norwegian Cruise Line's stock.

Company Overview

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., along with its subsidiaries, operates as a cruise line company predominantly in North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific regions. It manages several brands, including Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. The company offers a wide range of itineraries, spanning from three days to 180 days, covering various destinations worldwide, such as Scandinavia, Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, Alaska, and the Caribbean.

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