Stock Traders Buy High Volume of Put Options on Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH)

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NCLH) saw unusually large options trading on Friday. Stock traders bought 29,886 put options on the company. This represents an increase of 25% compared to the typical daily volume of 23,919 put options.

Insider Activity

In other Norwegian Cruise Line news, insider Jason Montague acquired 13,400 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 6th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $18.81 per share, with a total value of $252,054.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 13,400 shares in the company, valued at $252,054. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Harry C. Curtis acquired 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $19.25 per share, for a total transaction of $96,250.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 50,325 shares in the company, valued at approximately $968,756.25. The trade was a 11.03% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders bought 90,029 shares of company stock worth $1,663,575 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norwegian Cruise Line

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Nilsine Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 32.8% during the fourth quarter. Nilsine Partners LLC now owns 11,437 shares of the company’s stock valued at $255,000 after acquiring an additional 2,827 shares during the period. Retirement Systems of Alabama increased its holdings in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 96,848 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,162,000 after purchasing an additional 443 shares during the period. Thompson Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line in the fourth quarter worth approximately $44,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its position in Norwegian Cruise Line by 19.9% in the 4th quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 4,882 shares of the company’s stock worth $109,000 after buying an additional 810 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CoreCap Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 175.4% during the fourth quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 6,992 shares of the company’s stock worth $156,000 after acquiring an additional 4,453 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.58% of the company’s stock.

Norwegian Cruise Line Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of NCLH traded down $0.29 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $22.59. 8,696,825 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 16,183,100. 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 has a 1-year low of $14.21 and a 1-year high of $29.29. The company has a market cap of $10.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.61, a P/E/G ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 2.07. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $20.74 and a 200-day moving average price of $22.74.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $1.20 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.17 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $2.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.03 billion. Norwegian Cruise Line had a return on equity of 55.51% and a net margin of 6.85%.Norwegian Cruise Line has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 0.270-0.270 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 2.100-2.100 EPS. Research analysts expect that Norwegian Cruise Line will post 1.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on NCLH shares. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from $26.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line in a research report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Norwegian Cruise Line from $27.00 to $25.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Norwegian Cruise Line from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $26.00 to $20.00 in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from $25.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Norwegian Cruise Line presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $27.68.

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.