Viking (NYSE:VIK) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Viking (NYSE:VIK) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Tuesday morning.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Viking from $59.00 to $69.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $95.00 target price on shares of Viking and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Viking from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Bank of America increased their price target on Viking from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Viking from $75.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $79.93.

Viking Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of VIK opened at $80.96 on Tuesday. Viking has a twelve month low of $38.50 and a twelve month high of $87.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 1.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.76. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $75.36 and its 200 day simple moving average is $69.81.

Viking (NYSE:VIK) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Saturday, February 14th. The company reported $0.67 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $1.72 billion during the quarter. Viking had a return on equity of 240.75% and a net margin of 17.65%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Viking will post 3.31 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Viking

In other news, EVP Jeffrey Dash sold 46,369 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.23, for a total transaction of $3,720,184.87. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 420,022 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,698,365.06. This represents a 9.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Activest Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Viking by 19,500.0% in the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 392 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 390 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in shares of Viking during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its stake in Viking by 316.0% in the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 416 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 316 shares in the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in Viking by 651.8% in the fourth quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 421 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 365 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new stake in Viking in the third quarter valued at about $26,000. 98.84% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Viking News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Viking this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Susquehanna initiated coverage with a “positive” rating and a $100 price target, signaling analyst confidence and providing a clear near?term price catalyst for investors. Viking Holdings is called a travel sector standout by Susquehanna
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary and screens are labeling VIK a top momentum stock for longer?term investors, reinforcing the narrative that the travel/cruise recovery and Viking’s premium positioning support continued share gains. Why Viking Holdings (VIK) is a Top Momentum Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Business/event coverage using the “Viking” name (local festivals, TV, sporting events) is appearing in consumer media but has no direct impact on Viking Holdings the cruise company; these items can create incidental brand buzz but are unlikely to move fundamentals. Whitestown’s Viking Fest: A weekend of immersive Viking culture
• Neutral Sentiment: Other lifestyle and event stories (local news on Viking Fest, a fishing challenge event, and a TV feature titled “Viking noir”) are unrelated editorial coverage and should be treated as noise for equity investors. Viking Key West Challenge Sees Record Turnout and Great Fishing
• Negative Sentiment: Fundamental/valuation caution: Viking trades at a relatively high P/E (~30.5) and carries substantial leverage (debt/equity ~4.76). Those factors increase sensitivity to rising rates or a slowdown in travel demand and represent downside risk if sentiment shifts.

Viking Company Profile

Viking Holdings Ltd engages in the passenger shipping and other forms of passenger transport in North America, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates through River and Ocean segments. The company also operates as a tour entrepreneur for passengers and related activities in tourism. As of December 31, 2023, it operated a fleet of 92 ships, including 81 river vessels comprising 58 Longships, 10 smaller classes based on the Longship design, 11 other river vessels, and 1 river vessel charter and the Viking Mississippi; 9 ocean ships; and 2 expedition ships.