CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 2.540-2.64 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 1.870. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on CXW. Jones Trading restated a “buy” rating and set a $30.00 price objective on shares of CoreCivic in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of CoreCivic from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $34.00.

CoreCivic Stock Performance

Shares of CXW traded up $0.93 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $18.79. 109,355 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 933,971. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.40 and a beta of 0.71. CoreCivic has a 12-month low of $15.95 and a 12-month high of $23.54. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $19.16 and a 200-day moving average price of $19.23. The company has a quick ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70.

CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $603.95 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $585.12 million. CoreCivic had a return on equity of 8.07% and a net margin of 5.27%.CoreCivic’s revenue for the quarter was up 26.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.39 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that CoreCivic will post 1.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CoreCivic declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Monday, November 10th that allows the company to buyback $200.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the real estate investment trust to repurchase up to 10.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Key CoreCivic News

Here are the key news stories impacting CoreCivic this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and revenue acceleration — CXW reported Q4 EPS of $0.52 (vs. $0.43 est.) and revenue of $603.95M, up 26% YoY, driven by facility activations and higher occupancy. This is the primary near-term driver for the rally. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Materially raised FY2026 guidance — management gave EPS guidance of $2.54–$2.64 (vs. ~1.87 consensus) and is targeting ~$2.5B revenue and up to $445M EBITDA in 2026 on expanded federal contracts, supporting higher forward earnings expectations. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — Jones Trading reaffirmed a “buy” and set a $30 price target, signaling some buy-side conviction that the upside from contract wins and guidance is underappreciated. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market reaction and detail — transcripts and coverage show management citing ICE-driven revenue growth and facility activations; investors are parsing call details for sustainability of government demand. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Political and reputational risk — reporting highlights a “deportation backlash” and broader pushback against DHS/ICE contractors that could constrain future contract growth or invite policy risk. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Investor exits and ESG pressure — coverage describes a fund walking away (a ~$10M exit) and opinion pieces criticizing for-profit prisons, which can pressure valuation multiples and limit ESG-focused inflows. Read More. Read More.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CoreCivic

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CXW. Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its stake in CoreCivic by 36.8% during the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 139,218 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $2,660,000 after purchasing an additional 37,457 shares during the last quarter. Aristides Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of CoreCivic during the 4th quarter worth approximately $207,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of CoreCivic by 6.5% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 79,602 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $1,521,000 after purchasing an additional 4,882 shares in the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its holdings in shares of CoreCivic by 28.3% in the 4th quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 242,685 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $4,638,000 after acquiring an additional 53,466 shares during the period. Finally, CSM Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of CoreCivic during the 4th quarter worth approximately $4,321,000. 85.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CoreCivic Company Profile

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.