Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Downgraded by StockNews.com

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

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on NVGS. Clarkson Capital upgraded shares of Navigator from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. 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. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $20.00 target price on shares of Navigator in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, DNB Markets assumed coverage on Navigator in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They set a “buy” rating and a $22.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Navigator presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $21.00.

Navigator Stock Up 1.3 %

NYSE:NVGS opened at $15.83 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $16.09 and a 200-day moving average of $16.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.16 billion, a PE ratio of 13.53 and a beta of 1.49. Navigator has a 52 week low of $13.72 and a 52 week high of $18.18.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 14th. The shipping company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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%. Analysts predict that Navigator will post 1.38 EPS for the current year.

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 24th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd were given a $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.26%. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 17.09%.

Institutional Trading of Navigator

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of NVGS. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Navigator by 32.8% during the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,442,150 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $25,146,000 after acquiring an additional 356,134 shares during the period. Encompass Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Navigator during the 2nd quarter valued at about $23,571,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its stake in shares of Navigator by 15.8% in the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 787,700 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $13,753,000 after purchasing an additional 107,300 shares during the last quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Navigator by 17.9% in the 1st quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 673,500 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $10,338,000 after purchasing an additional 102,224 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in Navigator by 14.4% during the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 661,288 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $11,546,000 after purchasing an additional 83,344 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 18.95% of the company’s stock.

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.