Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) Cut to “Sell” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note published on Saturday,Wall Street Zen reports.

NCLH has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Freedom Capital lowered Norwegian Cruise Line from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $17.00 price objective on Norwegian Cruise Line in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Norwegian Cruise Line from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane lifted their target price on Norwegian Cruise Line from $15.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $20.18.

Norwegian Cruise Line Stock Up 2.0%

NYSE:NCLH opened at $17.93 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.40. Norwegian Cruise Line has a twelve month low of $13.63 and a twelve month high of $25.13. The company has a market cap of $8.23 billion, a PE ratio of 9.91, a P/E/G ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.95. The company’s 50 day moving average is $15.41 and its two-hundred day moving average is $18.72.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $1.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $2.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.88 billion. Norwegian Cruise Line had a net margin of 7.49% and a return on equity of 41.38%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.20 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Norwegian Cruise Line will post 1.36 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norwegian Cruise Line

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Heritage Family Offices LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Calamos Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Norwegian Cruise Line by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC now owns 394,590 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,785,000 after purchasing an additional 7,983 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in Norwegian Cruise Line by 5.0% during the third quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 49,248 shares of the company’s stock worth $722,000 after purchasing an additional 2,358 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC boosted its position in Norwegian Cruise Line by 27.7% during the third quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 708,641 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,389,000 after purchasing an additional 153,509 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC purchased a new position in Norwegian Cruise Line during the third quarter worth approximately $174,000. 69.58% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Norwegian Cruise Line

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

• Positive Sentiment: Lower oil prices supported cruise stocks. Cheaper fuel eased pressure on one of the industry’s largest operating expenses, lifting cruise operators broadly, including NCLH. Carnival and Royal Caribbean Climb 5%, Norwegian Cruise Line Rises 4% as Oil Prices Drop
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts became more bullish following NCLH’s earnings beat. The company exceeded third-quarter earnings expectations, while reports cited stronger bookings and planned cost savings. Multiple analysts raised their price targets, including targets of $18, $21 and $22. NCLH Rises Overnight: Analysts Turn Bullish on Norwegian Cruise Line as Bookings and Cost Savings Improve
• Positive Sentiment: Freedom Broker upgraded NCLH from “hold” to “buy” and raised its price target to $22 from $20. The upgrade adds to the positive analyst momentum and reflects expectations for additional upside. Norwegian Cruise Line Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Management is emphasizing cost control, debt reduction and higher onboard and pre-cruise revenue. These initiatives could improve margins and cash flow, particularly as NCLH takes a more financially disciplined approach than Royal Caribbean’s planned resort investment. NCLH Targets Onboard and Pre-Cruise Revenue
• Neutral Sentiment: NCLH is scaling back included airfare. The change is intended to improve costs and revenue yield, but it could reduce the value proposition for some customers if travelers must pay more separately for flights. NCLH Scales Back Included Airfare in Cost and Yield Push

About Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. is a global cruise company headquartered in Miami, Florida. Through its operating brands—Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises—the company provides cruise vacations to destinations worldwide, including Europe, the Caribbean, Alaska, Asia, South America, Australia and New Zealand.

Norwegian Cruise Line offers contemporary cruises with flexible dining, entertainment and onboard activities. Oceania Cruises focuses on destination-oriented, upscale travel and culinary experiences, while Regent Seven Seas Cruises provides an all-inclusive luxury cruise experience.