Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Stock Rating Lowered by StockNews.com

StockNews.com lowered shares of Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Saturday morning.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. Citigroup initiated coverage on Navigator in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. They issued 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 for the company in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a buy rating and set a $20.00 price target on shares of Navigator in a report on Thursday, August 15th.

Navigator Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NVGS opened at $15.53 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.19. Navigator has a 52 week low of $13.56 and a 52 week high of $18.18. The firm has a market cap of $1.14 billion, a PE ratio of 13.27 and a beta of 1.51. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $16.50 and its 200-day moving average is $16.06.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 14th. The shipping company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) 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 business had revenue of $129.55 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $117.92 million. Sell-side analysts predict that Navigator will post 1.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 24th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be paid a $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.29%. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio is currently 17.09%.

Institutional Trading of Navigator

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Hodges Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Navigator by 89.3% in the 1st 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 grew its position 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 valued at $8,282,000 after purchasing an additional 33,100 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its position 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 valued at $16,641,000 after purchasing an additional 644,011 shares during the period. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. grew its position in Navigator by 17.9% in the 1st quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 673,500 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $10,338,000 after purchasing an additional 102,224 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position 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. Institutional investors 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.