Navigator’s (NVGS) “Buy” Rating Reiterated at Jefferies Financial Group

Jefferies Financial Group reiterated their buy rating on shares of Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) in a research report released on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $20.00 price target on the shipping company’s stock.

NVGS has been the topic of several other reports. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Navigator in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. They issued a buy rating and a $22.00 target price on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Navigator from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, August 13th.

Navigator Stock Down 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE NVGS opened at $16.08 on Thursday. Navigator has a 12-month low of $12.80 and a 12-month high of $18.18. The stock has a market cap of $1.18 billion, a PE ratio of 13.74 and a beta of 1.51. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The company has a 50-day moving average of $16.62 and a 200 day moving average of $15.99.

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 24th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be issued a $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.24%. Navigator’s payout ratio is 17.09%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Navigator

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in NVGS. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Navigator by 24.2% in the 4th quarter. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC now owns 41,708 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $607,000 after acquiring an additional 8,114 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC acquired a new position in shares of Navigator in the 4th quarter worth approximately $54,000. Semanteon Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Navigator during the 4th quarter worth approximately $221,000. M&T Bank Corp acquired a new stake in Navigator during the 4th quarter worth approximately $437,000. Finally, First Eagle Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in Navigator by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 506,438 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $7,369,000 after buying an additional 7,645 shares in the last quarter. 18.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.