Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Cut to Hold at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Sunday.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Navigator in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Pareto Securities initiated coverage on shares of Navigator in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Navigator from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $19.00 price target on shares of Navigator in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Navigator currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $21.50.

Navigator Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of NVGS stock opened at $18.66 on Friday. Navigator has a 52-week low of $10.55 and a 52-week high of $18.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.18. The stock has a market cap of $1.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.36, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.40. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $17.83 and a 200-day moving average of $16.82.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Navigator

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NVGS. Geode Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Navigator during the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,677,000. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Navigator in the third quarter worth about $6,091,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Navigator during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $4,773,000. LSV Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of Navigator during the fourth quarter worth $3,108,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in shares of Navigator by 143.8% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 263,369 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $3,727,000 after purchasing an additional 155,336 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 18.95% of the company’s stock.

Navigator Company Profile

Navigator Holdings Ltd. is a global shipping company specializing in the seaborne transportation of liquefied gases. The company’s fleet is purpose-built to carry a range of petrochemical gases, including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), ethylene, propylene and ammonia. Navigator’s vessels are designed to meet the stringent safety and environmental standards required for handling pressurized and refrigerated gases, offering flexible capacity to customers across the energy and chemical sectors.

Navigator operates one of the largest and most modern fleets of gas carriers in the industry, with vessels ranging from fully pressurized gas carriers to specialized very large ethane carriers (VLECs).