CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW) Given Buy Rating at Jones Trading

Jones Trading reiterated their buy rating on shares of CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW) in a research note released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $30.00 price target on the real estate investment trust’s stock.

Separately, Wall Street Zen lowered CoreCivic from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $34.00.

CoreCivic Stock Up 5.9%

Shares of NYSE CXW opened at $18.92 on Friday. CoreCivic has a 52-week low of $15.95 and a 52-week high of $23.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a current ratio of 1.66. The stock has a market cap of $1.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.51 and a beta of 0.71. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $19.17 and a 200 day moving average price of $19.22.

CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.09. CoreCivic had a net margin of 5.27% and a return on equity of 8.17%. The company had revenue of $603.95 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $585.12 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.39 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 26.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that CoreCivic will post 1.5 EPS for the current year.

CoreCivic announced that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Monday, November 10th that permits the company to repurchase $200.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the real estate investment trust to buy up to 10.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Trading of CoreCivic

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in CoreCivic during the fourth quarter worth $71,000. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its position in CoreCivic by 124.9% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 201,041 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $3,842,000 after buying an additional 111,632 shares in the last quarter. Hatch Cove Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of CoreCivic during the 4th quarter worth about $12,951,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its holdings in shares of CoreCivic by 36.8% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 139,218 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $2,660,000 after acquiring an additional 37,457 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aristides Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CoreCivic in the fourth quarter valued at about $207,000. 85.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key CoreCivic News

Here are the key news stories impacting CoreCivic this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results and management commentary showed a beat on revenue and EPS and a stronger outlook, supporting near-term earnings visibility. CoreCivic (CXW) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised FY‑2026 guidance materially (EPS guidance ~2.54–2.64 vs. consensus ~1.87), signaling stronger free cash flow and earnings power for the year ahead. CoreCivic Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Company is guiding to higher 2026 scale (targeting ~$2.5B revenue and up to $445M EBITDA) driven by expanded federal contracts and facility activations — a clear growth thesis if contracts convert. CoreCivic targets $2.5B revenue and up to $445M EBITDA in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: An analyst (Jones Trading) reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $30 price target, adding third‑party support for upside vs. the current trading level. Benzinga coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Company press/coverage emphasizes federal contract wins and facility activations but notes ongoing market skepticism—illustrates gap between operational progress and market trust. CXW Q4 Deep Dive
• Negative Sentiment: Political and policy risk: reporting highlights a “deportation backlash” that raises uncertainty for DHS contractors — could pressure contract renewals or new awards. Deportation backlash adds fresh uncertainty
• Negative Sentiment: Investor/ESG pressure: coverage highlights an example of a fund walking away despite a strong quarter, underscoring reputational and ESG-driven selling risk. $10 Million Exit article
• Negative Sentiment: Opinion pieces continue to question owning for‑profit prisons, a persistent reputational headwind that can affect long-term investor demand and governance scrutiny. For-profit prisons op-ed

About CoreCivic

CoreCivic, Inc (NYSE: CXW) is a real estate investment trust specializing in the ownership, management and operation of private correctional and detention facilities in the United States. The company enters into contracts with federal, state and local government agencies to house inmates and detainees in facilities that it owns or operates on a concession basis. In addition to traditional prison operations, CoreCivic provides specialized services such as community-based reentry programs, electronic monitoring and rehabilitation initiatives aimed at reducing recidivism.

CoreCivic’s portfolio encompasses a mix of adult correctional facilities, immigration detention centers, residential reentry centers and other community-based programs.