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

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday morning.

Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Navigator in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. They set a buy rating and a $22.00 price objective on the stock. Clarkson Capital upgraded shares of Navigator from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $20.00 price target on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a buy rating and issued a $20.00 price objective on shares of Navigator in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, DNB Markets initiated coverage on Navigator in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They set a buy rating and a $22.00 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Navigator presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $21.00.

Navigator Trading Up 0.6 %

Navigator stock opened at $16.16 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. Navigator has a 12 month low of $13.68 and a 12 month high of $18.18. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $16.05 and its 200-day simple moving average is $16.17. The stock has a market cap of $1.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.81 and a beta of 1.50.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 14th. The shipping company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.02. Navigator had a return on equity of 7.35% and a net margin of 14.76%. The company had revenue of $129.55 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $117.92 million. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Navigator will post 1.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Navigator Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 24th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.24%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 3rd. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio is currently 17.09%.

Institutional Trading of Navigator

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Point72 Asset Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Navigator during the 2nd quarter worth $38,000. Quarry LP bought a new stake in Navigator in the 2nd quarter valued at $48,000. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its holdings in Navigator by 13.5% in the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 29,884 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $459,000 after purchasing an additional 3,546 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Navigator by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 252,187 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $3,669,000 after purchasing an additional 4,208 shares during the period. Finally, Tidal Investments LLC boosted its holdings in Navigator by 18.4% in the 1st quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 34,013 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $522,000 after purchasing an additional 5,285 shares during the period. 18.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.