BNP Paribas Begins Coverage on Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH)

Analysts at BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) in a note issued to investors on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage set a “neutral” rating and a $21.00 price target on the stock. BNP Paribas’ price target would indicate a potential upside of 9.57% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the company. Loop Capital began coverage on Norwegian Cruise Line in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. They set a “hold” rating and a $26.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Norwegian Cruise Line from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $30.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 17th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Norwegian Cruise Line from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Macquarie lifted their price objective on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $34.00 target price on shares of Norwegian Cruise Line in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Norwegian Cruise Line has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $28.47.

Norwegian Cruise Line Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE NCLH opened at $19.17 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.35, a current ratio of 0.20 and a quick ratio of 0.17. Norwegian Cruise Line has a 1 year low of $14.69 and a 1 year high of $29.29. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $23.88 and a 200-day moving average price of $24.32. The stock has a market cap of $8.43 billion, a PE ratio of 17.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.24 and a beta of 2.62.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Norwegian Cruise Line

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in Norwegian Cruise Line during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Norwegian Cruise Line during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its holdings in Norwegian Cruise Line by 176.0% during the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 1,159 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 739 shares during the last quarter. Finally, R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in Norwegian Cruise Line in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors own 69.58% of the company’s stock.

About Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a cruise company in North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific, and internationally. The company operates through the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands. It offers itineraries ranging from three days to a 180-days calling on various ports, including Scandinavia, Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Greek Isles, Alaska, Canada and New England, Hawaii, Asia, Tahiti and the South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand, Africa, India, South America, the Panama Canal, and the Caribbean.