Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Reaches New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $17.66 and last traded at $17.5550, with a volume of 349727 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $16.93.

Analyst Ratings Changes

NVGS has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 target price on shares of Navigator in a research report on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on Navigator in a research report on Thursday, September 25th. They set a “buy” rating and a $24.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Navigator from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Saturday, October 25th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Navigator has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.50.

Navigator Trading Up 3.8%

The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The business has a 50 day moving average of $15.89 and a 200-day moving average of $15.11. The stock has a market cap of $1.22 billion, a PE ratio of 13.84 and a beta of 0.57.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The shipping company reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36. Navigator had a return on equity of 6.56% and a net margin of 15.57%.The firm had revenue of $153.09 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $133.84 million. On average, analysts anticipate that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.25 EPS for the current year.

Navigator Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 25th will be paid a $0.07 dividend. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 25th. This is an increase from Navigator’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.05. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio is currently 13.25%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Navigator

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. California State Teachers Retirement System purchased a new stake in Navigator in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in shares of Navigator during the 2nd quarter worth $42,000. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Navigator during the 2nd quarter worth $47,000. CWM LLC purchased a new position in shares of Navigator during the 3rd quarter worth $52,000. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Navigator by 21,406.3% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 3,441 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 3,425 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 18.95% of the company’s stock.

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.