One Wall Street analyst thinks investors can book some nice profits by investing in Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH 4.04%) stock right now. That's because demand for booking cruise vacations looks to be strong for at least the next year.
This comes as travel stocks have been getting crushed during the market sell-off. Uncertainty surrounding tariffs and interest rates has investors concerned about consumer spending. But J.P. Morgan analyst Matthew Boss just spent some time with Norwegian's chief financial officer and believes the cruise business is holding its own.
While airlines have been warning investors in recent weeks that they are seeing a slowdown in both consumer and business travel, Boss thinks the concerns may not apply to cruise names like Norwegian. That's thanks to his recent meeting with Norwegian's CFO, Mark Kempa.
Boss raised his rating on the stock to the equivalent of buy from hold with a $30-per-share price target. That implies more than 50% upside from recent levels. After meeting with the CFO, the analyst said, "The definitive message from management was zero detectable change in demand behavior to date despite 'noise' in the macro backdrop," reports Barron's.
That's the same message Norwegian management gave to investors last month when it presented its fourth-quarter results. The company said strong demand drove 2024 revenue up 11% to a new record. It also said it was seeing solid customer demand "across itineraries and brands" through this year and into 2026.
But Norwegian shares weren't immune to the recent sell-off in travel and tourism stocks. The stock has dropped over 25% so far this year. With consumers still wanting experiential vacations at affordable prices, it might be time for investors to get on board cruise stocks like Norwegian as well.
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