BW LPG (NYSE:BWLP) Reaches New 12-Month High – Here’s What Happened

BW LPG Limited (NYSE:BWLP) shares hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $17.22 and last traded at $17.2660, with a volume of 3914 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $16.79.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on BWLP shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of BW LPG in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Clarkson Capital upgraded BW LPG from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, BW LPG presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

BW LPG Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $2.29 billion and a P/E ratio of 15.40. The company’s fifty day moving average is $14.14 and its 200 day moving average is $14.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.47, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

BW LPG (NYSE:BWLP) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, December 2nd. The company reported $0.38 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.57 by ($0.19). The company had revenue of $279.98 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $242.92 million. BW LPG had a net margin of 4.57% and a return on equity of 8.78%.

BW LPG Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 12th were issued a $0.40 dividend. This is a boost from BW LPG’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 12th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.2%. BW LPG’s payout ratio is 141.59%.

Institutional Trading of BW LPG

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new stake in shares of BW LPG in the third quarter worth about $36,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of BW LPG in the 4th quarter worth approximately $43,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of BW LPG in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $47,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets purchased a new position in shares of BW LPG during the third quarter valued at approximately $62,000. Finally, Optiver Holding B.V. raised its holdings in shares of BW LPG by 99.3% during the third quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. now owns 4,541 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 2,263 shares in the last quarter.

BW LPG Company Profile

BW LPG (NYSE: BWLP) is a pure?play owner and operator of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers. The company’s core business centers on the maritime transportation of LPG, predominantly propane and butane, under both time? and voyage?charter arrangements. Its fleet comprises pressurized and semi?refrigerated vessels designed to meet the specific requirements of LPG producers, traders and end?users around the world.

Headquartered in Singapore, BW LPG serves a global customer base, with commercial offices in key energy hubs including Houston, London, Dubai and Tokyo.