Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Cut to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com cut shares of Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Saturday.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. DNB Markets assumed coverage on Navigator in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They set a buy rating and a $22.00 price target for the company. Citigroup assumed coverage on Navigator in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. They issued a buy rating and a $22.00 price objective for the company. Clarkson Capital raised Navigator from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $20.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $20.00 price target on shares of Navigator in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $21.00.

Navigator Price Performance

Shares of NVGS opened at $16.07 on Friday. Navigator has a 52-week low of $13.68 and a 52-week high of $18.18. 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 business’s 50 day moving average price is $16.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $16.17. The firm has a market cap of $1.18 billion, a PE ratio of 13.74 and a beta of 1.50.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 14th. The shipping company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $129.55 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $117.92 million. Navigator had a return on equity of 7.35% and a net margin of 14.76%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Navigator will post 1.38 EPS for the current year.

Navigator Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 24th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. 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 1.24%. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 17.09%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Navigator

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Point72 Asset Management L.P. bought a new position in Navigator in the 2nd quarter worth about $38,000. Quarry LP bought a new position in Navigator during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $48,000. Perkins Coie Trust Co bought a new position in Navigator during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $105,000. XTX Topco Ltd bought a new position in Navigator during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $279,000. Finally, Aristides Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Navigator in the 1st quarter worth approximately $252,000. 18.95% of the stock is currently owned by 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.