Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Upgraded at StockNews.com

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

Separately, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $20.00 price objective on shares of Navigator in a research report on Thursday, March 14th.

Navigator Stock Up 0.2 %

NVGS stock opened at $16.95 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $15.53 and its 200-day moving average is $15.21. Navigator has a twelve month low of $12.33 and a twelve month high of $17.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.24 billion, a PE ratio of 14.49 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 13th. The shipping company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $123.52 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $114.37 million. Navigator had a return on equity of 6.86% and a net margin of 15.68%. Sell-side analysts expect that Navigator will post 1.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Navigator Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 4th will be paid a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 4th. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.18%. Navigator’s payout ratio is 17.09%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Navigator

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Navigator by 18.4% in the first quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 34,013 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $522,000 after buying an additional 5,285 shares in the last quarter. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. boosted its position in shares of Navigator by 74.7% during the 1st quarter. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. now owns 22,449 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $345,000 after acquiring an additional 9,600 shares during the last quarter. Aristides Capital LLC purchased a new position in Navigator in the 1st quarter worth approximately $252,000. MQS Management LLC raised its position in shares of Navigator by 62.8% during the 1st quarter. MQS Management LLC now owns 26,285 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $403,000 after buying an additional 10,142 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Navigator by 145.7% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,086,016 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $16,641,000 after acquiring an additional 644,011 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.