Benchmark Rates CoreCivic (CXW) buy, $36 Price Target

Benchmark maintains its buy rating for CoreCivic, Inc. with a price target of $36, a 18.85% upside from the current price.

By EarningsIQ Research Desk · Published Jun 27, 2026, 3:03 AM EDT · Updated Jun 30, 2026, 1:01 PM EDT

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Benchmark rated CoreCivic, Inc. ($CXW) "buy" with a $36 price target on June 26, 2026.

Since the rating, $CXW is down 1.1% after 1 week, up 1.4% after 1 month and down 0.3% to date (from the $30.77 close on Jun 26, 2026).

CXW CoreCivic, Inc.

$30.67 +61.25% year to date

Daily close · Oct 16, 2026

Key Points

Benchmark reiterated its buy rating on CoreCivic, Inc. (NYSE:CXW) on June 26, 2026, with a price target of $36.
Benchmark's $36 price target implies 18.85% upside from CoreCivic, Inc.'s ($CXW) current $30.29 share price.
Shares of CoreCivic traded at $29.38 on Saturday with a market cap of approximately $3.04 billion and a P/E ratio of 25.02.
Insiders at CoreCivic have made several transactions, including planned sales by the Chief Administrative Officer.

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On June 26, 2026, Benchmark reiterated its buy rating for CoreCivic, Inc. (NYSE:CXW), setting a price target of $36. Analyst Bill Sutherland maintained his optimistic outlook, suggesting potential upside for the stock, which traded at $29.38 on Saturday.

Analyst rating track record

Benchmark vs. the S&P 500

YTD return -20.96% hypothetical

All-time return -33.77% S&P 500 +21.72%

vs. S&P 500 -55.49% behind the index

Hypothetical returns from Benchmark's disclosed trades, not real profit or advice. How we model this.

Other Institutional Activity in CoreCivic

BlackRock, Inc. reduced its holdings in CoreCivic by 557,681 shares, bringing its total to 15,922,826 shares valued at about $301.1 million. River Road Asset Management, LLC slightly increased its position by 33,156 shares, reaching 9,011,396 shares worth approximately $170.4 million. Vanguard Portfolio Management LLC and Vanguard Capital Management LLC both opened new positions, with 6,951,606 and 4,252,094 shares valued at $131.5 million and $80.4 million, respectively. State Street Corp trimmed its stake by 172,219 shares, ending with 3,741,839 shares valued at $70.8 million.

CoreCivic, Inc. Stock Down 14.0%

Shares of NYSE:CXW traded near $29.38 on Saturday. CoreCivic, Inc. has a market cap of roughly $3.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.02, and a forward P/E of 15.46. The stock's 52-week range is between $15.74 and $30.95, with a 50-day moving average of $22.89 and a 200-day moving average of $19.92. The company maintains a current ratio of 2.44 and a quick ratio of 2.26, with a debt-to-equity ratio of 101.99.

12-month forecast

$CXW price target

CoreCivic, Inc. daily closes and this analyst's $36 target. Not advice.

Recent Earnings

CoreCivic reported revenue of approximately $2.34 billion, showing a growth of 25.8%. The company achieved an EPS of $1.23, with a net margin of 5.53% and a return on equity of 9.01%. The next earnings report is expected on August 5, 2026.

Insider Buying and Selling at CoreCivic, Inc.

Insider transactions at CoreCivic include planned sales by Chief Administrative Officer Cole Carter, who sold 12,500 shares at $21.00 on June 1, 2026, and at $20.64 on May 1, 2026. Additionally, CEO Patrick Swindle sold 39,702 shares at $16.74 on February 20, 2026. Other transactions include Mark Emkes buying 2,824 shares at $21.25 on May 14, 2026.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

On June 26, 2026, Benchmark maintained a buy rating on CoreCivic with a price target of $36. Previously, on March 24, 2026, Benchmark had initiated coverage with a buy rating and a $28 target. The consensus among analysts is a strong buy, with an average target price of $29.80 based on five analyst opinions.

About CoreCivic, Inc.

CoreCivic, Inc. is a company based in Brentwood, Tennessee, that owns and operates correctional, detention, and residential reentry facilities in the United States. The company operates through three segments: CoreCivic Safety, CoreCivic Community, and CoreCivic Properties. It provides a range of services to government partners, including rehabilitation and educational programs, food services, and healthcare services. Founded in 1983, CoreCivic employs approximately 13,651 people and is led by CEO Patrick Swindle.

Bottom Line

Benchmark's reiteration of a buy rating on CoreCivic, Inc. reflects continued confidence in the company's potential. Investors closely watch analyst ratings and price targets for insights into a stock's performance. As a reminder, these ratings are based on past performance and may not represent future conditions.