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

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NCLH) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Stock investors bought 76,097 put options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 170% compared to the average daily volume of 28,219 put options.

Norwegian Cruise Line News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Activist pressure and a rapid CEO change create a potential catalyst — Elliott Investment Management has taken a major stake and publicly pushed for board and leadership changes; the company moved quickly to appoint John W. Chidsey as CEO, which investors often view as a catalyst for strategic, operational or capital-structure initiatives. Elliott Pressure And New CEO Put Norwegian Cruise Line At Turning Point
• Positive Sentiment: Fleet expansion signals long-term growth confidence — NCLH ordered newbuilds across its brands, expanding to 17 newbuilds which supports capacity growth and higher future revenue potential as demand recovers. (Capex and delivery timing remain watchpoints.) Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Orders New Ships for Every Line
• Positive Sentiment: Customer retention/marketing initiative — Oceania Cruises launched a referral (Ambassador) program that can incrementally boost bookings and guest loyalty across the group. Oceania Club Ambassador Program
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst previews highlight improving metrics but mixed signals ahead of Q4 — projections point to rising occupancy, strong pricing and cost control, yet concerns (e.g., negative ESP and a recent sharp rally) could limit upside if results only meet expectations. What Analyst Projections for Key Metrics Reveal About NCLH Q4 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Stock attracting elevated attention and short-term volatility — NCLH has been among the most-searched stocks on Zacks and was noted for outperforming the market recently, which can increase trader-driven moves. NCLH Is Attracting Investor Attention (Zacks)
• Negative Sentiment: Sell-side downgrade could add pressure — Wells Fargo cut NCLH to a “Strong Sell,” a bearish signal that can weigh on sentiment and prompt further selling by cautious investors. NCLH Cut to Strong Sell at Wells Fargo
• Negative Sentiment: Large investor exit — a fund (reported by The Motley Fool) sold its entire position (≈2.13M shares, ~$52.5M), removing a meaningful institutional holder and potentially increasing near-term supply. Benchstone Exited NCLH Position (The Motley Fool)

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Barclays lowered Norwegian Cruise Line from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $23.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $20.00 target price (down from $28.00) on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Norwegian Cruise Line from $25.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on Norwegian Cruise Line from $26.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $26.32.

Norwegian Cruise Line Price Performance

NCLH stock traded up $1.19 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $25.00. 19,377,022 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 20,856,959. The company has a quick ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 0.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.22. The company has a market cap of $11.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.38, a PEG ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 2.06. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $22.77 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $22.58. Norwegian Cruise Line has a 1-year low of $14.21 and a 1-year high of $27.18.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Norwegian Cruise Line

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NCLH. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC increased its stake in Norwegian Cruise Line by 26.7% in the 1st quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 23,133 shares of the company’s stock valued at $439,000 after buying an additional 4,872 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 4.3% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 48,346 shares of the company’s stock valued at $917,000 after acquiring an additional 2,002 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP increased its position in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 40.7% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 37,149 shares of the company’s stock valued at $704,000 after acquiring an additional 10,743 shares during the last quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Norwegian Cruise Line by 22.1% during the second quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 15,989 shares of the company’s stock worth $324,000 after acquiring an additional 2,896 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealthfront Advisers LLC raised its holdings in Norwegian Cruise Line by 27.5% during the second quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 21,946 shares of the company’s stock worth $445,000 after acquiring an additional 4,738 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.58% of the company’s stock.

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.