Jefferies cut its price target on Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to $17 from $18 following the company’s second quarter results.
Analyst David Katz reiterated a Hold rating, with the shares near $21 implying roughly 19% downside to his new target.
Katz described Norwegian’s new revenue management strategy as “a LT (long term) positive but a ST (short term) headwind,” with second half 2026 and 2027 yields likely under pressure before improving in 2028.
He detailed the company’s shift to a base-loading strategy, lowering early-curve pricing to build occupancy and drive stronger close-in pricing over time, alongside heavier marketing and top-of-funnel demand generation.
BNP Paribas’ Xian Siew said that the yield reset was driven largely by occupancy, which the company now expects at about 102.3%, roughly 300 basis points lower than before, partly offset by stronger per diems.
That mix, Siew said, reflected management preferring to have some empty berths rather than promote even further.”
Siew, who characterized the risk/reward as wide and balanced, noted that many bulls had already written off 2026 and shifted their focus to 2027.
