Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Trading Up 4.3% – Should You Buy?

Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS)’s stock price was up 4.3% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $16.57 and last traded at $16.55. Approximately 104,344 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 48% from the average daily volume of 199,979 shares. The stock had previously closed at $15.87.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently commented on NVGS shares. DNB Markets initiated coverage on Navigator in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $22.00 target price for the company. Clarkson Capital raised 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. StockNews.com raised Navigator from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 8th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Navigator in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $22.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 price objective on shares of Navigator in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $21.60.

Navigator Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.71. The stock has a market cap of $1.18 billion, a PE ratio of 14.27 and a beta of 1.50. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $15.95 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $16.34.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 14th. The shipping company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $129.55 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $117.92 million. Navigator had a net margin of 14.48% and a return on equity of 7.40%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Navigator Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 25th will be paid 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 is Monday, November 25th. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 17.70%.

Institutional Trading of Navigator

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in shares of Navigator by 13.5% in the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 29,884 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $459,000 after buying an additional 3,546 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. raised its holdings in Navigator by 88.0% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 33,685 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $517,000 after purchasing an additional 15,771 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised 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 purchasing an additional 644,011 shares in the last quarter. MQS Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Navigator by 62.8% during the 1st quarter. MQS Management LLC now owns 26,285 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $403,000 after purchasing an additional 10,142 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aristides Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Navigator during the 1st quarter valued at about $252,000. 18.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.