StockNews.com Downgrades Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) to Hold

StockNews.com cut shares of Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Tuesday.

Separately, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 target price on shares of Navigator in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Navigator has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.60.

Navigator Stock Up 1.8%

Shares of Navigator stock opened at $13.87 on Tuesday. Navigator has a one year low of $10.55 and a one year high of $18.18. The company has a market cap of $962.55 million, a P/E ratio of 12.27 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.75. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $13.02 and a two-hundred day moving average of $14.89.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 12th. The shipping company reported $0.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $144.03 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $120.87 million. Navigator had a net margin of 14.48% and a return on equity of 7.40%. On average, analysts forecast that Navigator will post 1.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, March 24th were issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.44%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 24th. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio is currently 16.67%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NVGS. JPMorgan Chase & Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Navigator during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $907,000. LPL Financial LLC raised its holdings in Navigator by 18.5% during the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 12,638 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $194,000 after purchasing an additional 1,976 shares during the last quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in Navigator by 24.8% during the fourth quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. now owns 686,148 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $10,532,000 after purchasing an additional 136,160 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC boosted its position in Navigator by 10.7% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 19,640 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $316,000 after purchasing an additional 1,895 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. grew its holdings in Navigator by 30.8% in the fourth quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 117,108 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $1,798,000 after purchasing an additional 27,584 shares during the last quarter. 18.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Navigator

Navigator Holdings Ltd. engages in owning and operating a fleet of liquefied gas carriers worldwide. It provides international and regional seaborne transportation services of petrochemical gases, liquefied petroleum gases, and ammonia for energy companies, industrial users, and commodity traders. The company also offers ship shore infrastructure and consultancy services.