Navient (NASDAQ:NAVI) Sets New 1-Year Low – What’s Next?

Navient Co. (NASDAQ:NAVI) shares hit a new 52-week low on Friday . The company traded as low as $12.68 and last traded at $12.74, with a volume of 171907 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $13.20.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on NAVI shares. StockNews.com lowered shares of Navient from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Seaport Res Ptn raised Navient from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of Navient from $17.00 to $16.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Navient from $15.00 to $13.50 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $13.90.

Navient Trading Down 2.9 %

The company’s fifty day moving average is $13.76 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.44. The company has a quick ratio of 9.49, a current ratio of 9.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.35. The stock has a market cap of $1.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.05 and a beta of 1.36.

Navient (NASDAQ:NAVI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The credit services provider reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.26 by ($0.01). Navient had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 6.69%. On average, research analysts predict that Navient Co. will post 1.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Navient Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 7th were issued a $0.16 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 7th. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.99%. Navient’s payout ratio is currently 55.17%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Navient

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in Navient by 6.4% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,822,583 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $24,222,000 after purchasing an additional 109,229 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its position in Navient by 14.6% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,567,466 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $20,832,000 after acquiring an additional 199,937 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in Navient by 47.4% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,315,841 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $17,488,000 after acquiring an additional 423,013 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in Navient by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,149,599 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $15,278,000 after acquiring an additional 10,788 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Navient by 1.8% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,092,270 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $17,028,000 after purchasing an additional 19,606 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.14% of the company’s stock.

About Navient

Navient Corporation provides technology-enabled education finance and business processing solutions for education, health care, and government clients in the United States. It operates through three segments: Federal Education Loans, Consumer Lending, and Business Processing. The company owns Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) loans that are insured or guaranteed by state or not-for-profit agencies; and performs servicing on its portfolios, as well as federal education loans held by other institutions.