Hodges Capital Management Inc. Boosts Stake in Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS)

Hodges Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) by 89.3% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 522,535 shares of the shipping company’s stock after acquiring an additional 246,505 shares during the quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Navigator were worth $8,021,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of Navigator by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 252,187 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $3,669,000 after purchasing an additional 4,208 shares during the last quarter. Estabrook Capital Management increased its holdings in Navigator by 5.4% during the fourth quarter. Estabrook Capital Management now owns 131,448 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $1,913,000 after buying an additional 6,700 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new position in Navigator in the fourth quarter valued at about $319,000. First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Navigator by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 506,438 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $7,369,000 after acquiring an additional 7,645 shares during the period. Finally, M&T Bank Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Navigator during the 4th quarter worth approximately $437,000. 18.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Navigator Stock Performance

NVGS stock traded down $0.03 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $17.46. 344,735 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 306,627. Navigator Holdings Ltd. has a 52 week low of $12.66 and a 52 week high of $17.82. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $16.42 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $15.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.28 billion, a PE ratio of 14.92 and a beta of 1.46.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 15th. The shipping company reported $0.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31. The business had revenue of $119.97 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $121.51 million. Navigator had a return on equity of 6.86% and a net margin of 15.68%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.44 EPS for the current year.

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 4th were given a $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 4th. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.15%. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 17.09%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NVGS has been the subject of several research reports. StockNews.com raised Navigator from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 21st. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $20.00 price objective on shares of Navigator in a report on Thursday, March 14th.

Navigator 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.