Stock Traders Buy Large Volume of Call Options on Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH)

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NCLH) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Tuesday. Stock traders purchased 49,305 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 63% compared to the typical daily volume of 30,219 call options.

Norwegian Cruise Line Trading Down 4.0%

NYSE:NCLH opened at $21.30 on Wednesday. Norwegian Cruise Line has a 1 year low of $14.21 and a 1 year high of $27.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.22, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a current ratio of 0.19. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $22.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $22.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.48, a PEG ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 2.00.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 2nd. The company reported $0.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.27 by $0.01. Norwegian Cruise Line had a net margin of 4.31% and a return on equity of 53.56%. The business had revenue of $2.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.34 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.26 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. Norwegian Cruise Line has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.160-0.160 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 2.380-2.380 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Norwegian Cruise Line will post 1.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Norwegian Cruise Line News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat narrowly — adjusted EPS of $0.28 topped consensus by a penny, showing profitability improvement versus last year; this provides some fundamental support. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Heavier bullish options flow — unusually large call buying (≈49,305 calls, ~63% above average) suggests some traders are positioning for a rebound. (No article link)
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays trimmed its target to $22 and kept an equal‑weight rating — a modestly constructive take that implies limited near‑term upside from current levels. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan cut its target to $19 and moved to neutral — one of the more bearish analyst moves, signaling downside risk vs. recent price. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Susquehanna lowered its target to $20 and is neutral — another downward revision adding pressure to sentiment. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed estimates ($2.24B vs. $2.34B) and Q1 guidance of $0.16 EPS (well below the prior consensus ~$0.40) are the principal catalysts for the selloff — signals of near‑term operational and demand stress. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Management flagged “mistiming” of Caribbean capacity increases and execution issues for Europe/Alaska — operational missteps that company says will weigh on 2026 performance. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Macro and governance headwinds — rising oil (Middle East tensions) raises fuel cost risks despite partial hedges, and activist Elliott is pushing for board changes after the results, adding near‑term uncertainty. Read More. • Read More.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Bank of America decreased their price objective on Norwegian Cruise Line from $30.00 to $27.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $20.00 price objective on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line in a research report on Tuesday. Susquehanna dropped their price objective on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from $21.00 to $20.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Norwegian Cruise Line presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $25.60.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Norwegian Cruise Line

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of NCLH. Chapin Davis Inc. acquired a new stake in Norwegian Cruise Line in the 3rd quarter valued at about $3,604,000. Citigroup Inc. raised its position in Norwegian Cruise Line by 341.3% during the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 2,119,090 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,193,000 after acquiring an additional 1,638,889 shares during the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund lifted its holdings in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 23.3% in the third quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 593,189 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,610,000 after purchasing an additional 111,982 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its position in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 27.0% in the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 457,169 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,059,000 after purchasing an additional 97,275 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Goldentree Asset Management LP increased its stake in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line by 23.9% during the 2nd quarter. Goldentree Asset Management LP now owns 3,997,792 shares of the company’s stock worth $80,908,000 after purchasing an additional 771,955 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.58% of the company’s stock.

About Norwegian Cruise Line

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.