Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Reaches New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

Shares of Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $19.38 and last traded at $19.3750, with a volume of 80092 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $19.30.

Analyst Ratings Changes

NVGS has been the subject of several analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 price target on shares of Navigator in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Pareto Securities initiated coverage on shares of Navigator in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Navigator from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Navigator from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, February 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Navigator in a report on Monday, December 29th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Navigator presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $21.50.

Navigator Trading Up 0.2%

The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $17.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $16.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The firm has a market cap of $1.34 billion, a PE ratio of 12.81, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.40.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Navigator

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bessemer Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Navigator during the second quarter worth $383,000. Estabrook Capital Management grew its position in Navigator by 13.7% during the 2nd quarter. Estabrook Capital Management now owns 149,658 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $2,118,000 after purchasing an additional 18,090 shares during the period. Hodges Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Navigator by 12.7% during the 2nd quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. now owns 421,886 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $5,970,000 after purchasing an additional 47,391 shares during the period. Encompass Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Navigator by 7.4% during the 2nd quarter. Encompass Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,437,201 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $20,336,000 after buying an additional 99,326 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Navigator in the 2nd quarter valued at about $399,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 18.95% of the company’s stock.

About Navigator

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).