Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Lowered to “Hold” at StockNews.com

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) was downgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on NVGS. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $20.00 target price on shares of Navigator in a report on Thursday, August 15th. DNB Markets assumed coverage on shares of Navigator in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $22.00 target price for the company. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Navigator in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $22.00 target price for the company. Finally, Clarkson Capital upgraded shares of Navigator from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Navigator currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $21.00.

Navigator Stock Down 1.4 %

NYSE:NVGS opened at $15.64 on Monday. Navigator has a 1-year low of $13.72 and a 1-year high of $18.18. The company has a 50-day moving average of $16.08 and a 200 day moving average of $16.26. The firm has a market cap of $1.14 billion, a PE ratio of 13.37 and a beta of 1.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 1.13.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Navigator

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Hodges Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Navigator by 89.3% during the first quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. now owns 522,535 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $8,021,000 after acquiring an additional 246,505 shares in the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Navigator by 6.5% in the 1st quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 539,538 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $8,282,000 after buying an additional 33,100 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. increased its holdings in Navigator by 108.6% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 70,256 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $1,227,000 after buying an additional 36,571 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Navigator by 145.7% in the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,086,016 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $16,641,000 after buying an additional 644,011 shares during the period. Finally, Evergreen Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Navigator by 266.1% in the 2nd quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 42,995 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $751,000 after buying an additional 31,250 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 18.95% of the company’s stock.

Navigator Company Profile

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.