CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

Separately, Jones Trading restated a “buy” rating and set a $30.00 price objective on shares of CoreCivic in a research note on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, CoreCivic currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $34.00.

CoreCivic Stock Performance

Shares of CoreCivic stock opened at $18.92 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.51 and a beta of 0.71. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $19.17 and its 200-day moving average is $19.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 1.41. CoreCivic has a one year low of $15.95 and a one year high of $23.54.

CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW) last released its quarterly earnings results 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. The firm had revenue of $603.95 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $585.12 million. CoreCivic had a return on equity of 8.17% and a net margin of 5.27%.The business’s revenue was up 26.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.39 EPS. Equities analysts predict that CoreCivic will post 1.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CoreCivic announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Monday, November 10th that permits the company to repurchase $200.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the real estate investment trust to buy up to 10.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CXW. Advisors Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in CoreCivic in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. NBC Securities Inc. raised its stake in CoreCivic by 533.9% in the fourth quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,458 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 1,228 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd lifted its position in shares of CoreCivic by 31,516.7% in the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,897 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 1,891 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC lifted its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 972 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG bought a new position in shares of CoreCivic during the 4th quarter worth approximately $57,000. 85.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting CoreCivic

Here are the key news stories impacting CoreCivic this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results and management commentary showed a beat on revenue and EPS and a stronger outlook, supporting near-term earnings visibility. CoreCivic (CXW) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised FY‑2026 guidance materially (EPS guidance ~2.54–2.64 vs. consensus ~1.87), signaling stronger free cash flow and earnings power for the year ahead. CoreCivic Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Company is guiding to higher 2026 scale (targeting ~$2.5B revenue and up to $445M EBITDA) driven by expanded federal contracts and facility activations — a clear growth thesis if contracts convert. CoreCivic targets $2.5B revenue and up to $445M EBITDA in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: An analyst (Jones Trading) reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $30 price target, adding third‑party support for upside vs. the current trading level. Benzinga coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Company press/coverage emphasizes federal contract wins and facility activations but notes ongoing market skepticism—illustrates gap between operational progress and market trust. CXW Q4 Deep Dive
• Negative Sentiment: Political and policy risk: reporting highlights a “deportation backlash” that raises uncertainty for DHS contractors — could pressure contract renewals or new awards. Deportation backlash adds fresh uncertainty
• Negative Sentiment: Investor/ESG pressure: coverage highlights an example of a fund walking away despite a strong quarter, underscoring reputational and ESG-driven selling risk. $10 Million Exit article
• Negative Sentiment: Opinion pieces continue to question owning for‑profit prisons, a persistent reputational headwind that can affect long-term investor demand and governance scrutiny. For-profit prisons op-ed

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.