What is Zacks Research’s Forecast for CoreCivic Q1 Earnings?

CoreCivic, Inc. (NYSE:CXW) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research issued their Q1 2026 earnings estimates for CoreCivic in a report issued on Tuesday, February 17th. Zacks Research analyst M. Marin forecasts that the real estate investment trust will earn $0.56 per share for the quarter. The consensus estimate for CoreCivic’s current full-year earnings is $1.50 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for CoreCivic’s Q2 2026 earnings at $0.63 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $0.67 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $0.68 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $2.54 EPS.

CXW has been the topic of several other reports. JonesTrading reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $30.00 target price on shares of CoreCivic in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of CoreCivic from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $34.00.

CoreCivic Stock Performance

NYSE:CXW opened at $18.55 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $19.17 and its 200-day moving average is $19.20. CoreCivic has a 1-year low of $15.95 and a 1-year high of $23.54. The company has a current ratio of 1.66, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86. The stock has a market cap of $1.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.17 and a beta of 0.71.

CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 8.17% and a net margin of 5.27%.The business had revenue of $603.95 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $585.12 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.39 EPS. CoreCivic’s quarterly revenue was up 26.0% compared to the same quarter last year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CoreCivic

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Advisors Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of CoreCivic during the second quarter valued at about $25,000. NBC Securities Inc. raised its stake in CoreCivic by 533.9% during the 4th quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,458 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 1,228 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd raised its stake in CoreCivic by 31,516.7% during the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,897 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 1,891 shares during the period. CWM LLC grew its stake in CoreCivic by 80.1% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,186 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 972 shares during the period. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in CoreCivic by 33.0% in the second quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,829 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $59,000 after acquiring an additional 702 shares during the period. 85.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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

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.