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

StockNews.com cut shares of Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Monday.

Several other research firms have also recently commented on NVGS. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 price target on shares of Navigator in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Clarkson Capital raised shares of Navigator from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 target price for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. DNB Markets began coverage on shares of Navigator in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $22.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on Navigator in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. They set a “buy” rating and a $22.00 price objective for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $21.00.

Navigator Trading Up 1.3 %

NYSE NVGS opened at $15.83 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $16.09 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $16.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.19. Navigator has a twelve month low of $13.72 and a twelve month high of $18.18. The stock has a market cap of $1.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.53 and a beta of 1.49.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 14th. The shipping company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $129.55 million for 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%. Equities analysts anticipate that Navigator will post 1.38 EPS for the current year.

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 24th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 1.26%. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio is currently 17.09%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Navigator

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Navigator in the second quarter worth about $38,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Navigator in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $48,000. Perkins Coie Trust Co bought a new stake in Navigator during the second quarter worth approximately $105,000. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its holdings in Navigator by 9.1% during the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 8,221 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $132,000 after purchasing an additional 684 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aristides Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Navigator in the first quarter valued at approximately $252,000. 18.95% of the stock is currently 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.