Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Upgraded by StockNews.com to “Buy” Rating

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) was upgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Friday.

NVGS has been the topic of several other research reports. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Navigator in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $22.00 price objective on the stock. 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. Alliance Global Partners began coverage on Navigator in a research note on Monday, October 28th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $24.00 price objective on the stock. DNB Markets assumed coverage on shares of Navigator in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They set a “buy” rating and a $22.00 target price for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $20.00 price target on shares of Navigator in a research report on Thursday. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $21.60.

Navigator Trading Down 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:NVGS traded down $0.06 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $15.61. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 154,111 shares, compared to its average volume of 186,561. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $15.97 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $16.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.81 and a beta of 1.50. 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 fifty-two week low of $13.72 and a fifty-two week high of $18.18.

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. Navigator had a return on equity of 7.40% and a net margin of 14.48%. The firm had revenue of $129.55 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $117.92 million. As a group, analysts forecast that Navigator will post 1.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Navigator

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its holdings in shares of Navigator by 9.1% in the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 8,221 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $132,000 after purchasing an additional 684 shares during the last quarter. Tectonic Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Navigator by 3.5% during the third quarter. Tectonic Advisors LLC now owns 63,900 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $1,027,000 after acquiring an additional 2,152 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in Navigator in the second quarter worth about $38,000. Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of Navigator during the second quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Finally, Perkins Coie Trust Co boosted its position in shares of Navigator by 66.7% in the 3rd quarter. Perkins Coie Trust Co now owns 10,000 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $161,000 after purchasing an additional 4,000 shares in the last quarter. 18.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.