CoreCivic (NYSE:CXW) Director Devin Ignatius Murphy Sells 8,098 Shares

CoreCivic, Inc. (NYSE:CXW) Director Devin Ignatius Murphy sold 8,098 shares of CoreCivic stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.79, for a total value of $273,631.42. Following the sale, the director owned 63,826 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,156,680.54. This represents a 11.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

CoreCivic Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE CXW opened at $33.52 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $29.94 and a 200 day simple moving average of $23.21. CoreCivic, Inc. has a 52 week low of $15.73 and a 52 week high of $34.86. The stock has a market cap of $3.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.82 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a current ratio of 1.32.

CoreCivic announced that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Monday, August 10th that allows the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the real estate investment trust to purchase up to 15.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CoreCivic

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. NBC Securities Inc. lifted its position in shares of CoreCivic by 533.9% during the 4th quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,458 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 1,228 shares during the last quarter. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd acquired a new stake in CoreCivic in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $52,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in CoreCivic by 33.0% in the 2nd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,829 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $59,000 after buying an additional 702 shares during the period. Leonteq Securities AG bought a new position in CoreCivic in the 4th quarter worth approximately $57,000. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its holdings in shares of CoreCivic by 320.7% during the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 3,340 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $64,000 after buying an additional 2,546 shares during the last quarter. 85.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of CoreCivic from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Benchmark increased their target price on shares of CoreCivic from $41.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Weiss Ratings upgraded CoreCivic from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. UBS Group set a $35.00 price target on CoreCivic in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, JonesTrading reissued a “buy” rating and set a $30.00 price objective on shares of CoreCivic in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $37.00.

Trending Headlines about CoreCivic

Here are the key news stories impacting CoreCivic this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Higher earnings forecasts: Noble Financial raised its estimates for Q3 2026 EPS to $0.64 from $0.62, FY2026 EPS to $2.70 from $2.61, Q4 2026 EPS to $0.78 from $0.71, and FY2027 EPS to $3.62 from $3.19. The firm maintained an “Outperform” rating, signaling increased confidence in CoreCivic’s profitability.
• Positive Sentiment: $500 million buyback approved: CoreCivic’s board authorized repurchases of up to $500 million, potentially covering approximately 15.7% of outstanding shares. Buybacks can support earnings per share, provide demand for the stock and indicate that management believes the shares are undervalued. CoreCivic Board Announces Share Repurchase Program
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed earnings outlook remains a consideration: Although Noble raised its latest quarterly and annual forecasts, the revisions followed earlier cuts to Q3 and FY2026 estimates. Investors may look for confirmation of the improved outlook in upcoming results and management commentary.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst consensus is favorable: CoreCivic has a reported consensus “Buy” rating and an average target price of $37, implying additional upside from the stock’s recent trading level. However, the shares’ advance toward the 52-week high may limit near-term gains if expectations are already reflected in the valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling: EVP Lucibeth Mayberry sold 120,000 shares for approximately $4.0 million, reducing her position by 44.56%. Director Devin Ignatius Murphy separately sold 8,098 shares worth about $274,000. The transactions may weigh on sentiment, although insider sales do not necessarily signal deteriorating fundamentals. CoreCivic insider stock sales
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest climbed: Short interest increased 65.8% to roughly 3.57 million shares as of July 31, equal to about 3.7% of shares outstanding. This reflects greater bearish positioning and could increase volatility.

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.