Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) Receives Average Rating of “Buy” from Analysts

Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) has received a consensus rating of “Buy” from the four ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $21.00.

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on NVGS shares. Citigroup assumed coverage on Navigator in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $22.00 target price for the company. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $20.00 price objective on shares of Navigator in a report on Thursday, August 15th. DNB Markets started coverage on Navigator in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They set a “buy” rating and a $22.00 target price on the stock. Clarkson Capital raised 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, Alliance Global Partners started coverage on shares of Navigator in a research note on Monday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $24.00 price objective on the stock.

Navigator Trading Up 0.4 %

NYSE:NVGS opened at $15.85 on Monday. Navigator has a 1 year low of $13.72 and a 1 year high of $18.18. The business has a fifty day moving average of $16.13 and a 200-day moving average of $16.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.19. The stock has a market cap of $1.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.03 and a beta of 1.49.

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

Navigator Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 24th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 3rd were paid a $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.26%. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio is currently 17.70%.

Institutional Trading of Navigator

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Encompass Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Navigator in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $23,571,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Navigator by 145.7% in the first 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 in the last quarter. Graham Capital Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Navigator in the third quarter valued at $3,444,000. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its position in shares of Navigator by 361.3% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 207,039 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $3,615,000 after buying an additional 162,160 shares during the period. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its holdings in shares of Navigator by 15.8% during the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 787,700 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $13,753,000 after buying an additional 107,300 shares in the last quarter. 18.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.