Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Rating Increased to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Saturday morning.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 price target on shares of Navigator in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings downgraded Navigator from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 25th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Navigator in a report on Thursday, September 25th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $24.00 target price on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Navigator has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.50.

Navigator Stock Performance

Navigator stock traded down $0.42 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $17.03. 376,980 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 355,113. Navigator has a 12 month low of $10.55 and a 12 month high of $17.66. The firm has a market cap of $1.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.41 and a beta of 0.57. 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 stock has a 50-day moving average of $15.94 and a 200 day moving average of $15.18.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The shipping company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36. Navigator had a net margin of 15.57% and a return on equity of 6.56%. The business had revenue of $153.09 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $133.84 million. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Navigator will post 1.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Navigator Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.07 per share. This is a positive change from Navigator’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.05. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 25th. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio is 18.54%.

Institutional Trading of Navigator

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NVGS. Geode Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Navigator in the 2nd quarter worth about $5,677,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Navigator during the second quarter worth about $4,773,000. Bank of America Corp DE increased its holdings in shares of Navigator by 143.8% during the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 263,369 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $3,727,000 after buying an additional 155,336 shares in the last quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC raised its stake in shares of Navigator by 284.3% in the first quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 206,108 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $2,743,000 after acquiring an additional 152,470 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of Navigator by 165.4% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 210,797 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $3,265,000 after acquiring an additional 131,359 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.