Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Reaches New 1-Year Low – What’s Next?

Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS)’s stock price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $13.41 and last traded at $13.49, with a volume of 30122 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $13.63.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 target price on shares of Navigator in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $21.60.

Navigator Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $930.00 million, a P/E ratio of 11.86 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $15.40 and a 200 day simple moving average of $15.70.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 12th. The shipping company reported $0.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.01. Navigator had a return on equity of 7.40% and a net margin of 14.48%. The company had revenue of $144.03 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $120.87 million. On average, equities analysts expect that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, March 24th will be given a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 24th. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.49%. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio is 16.67%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NVGS. First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP increased its stake in shares of Navigator by 266.4% in the 4th quarter. First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP now owns 682,516 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $10,477,000 after purchasing an additional 496,220 shares during the last quarter. First Manhattan CO. LLC. raised its stake in Navigator by 25.1% during the fourth quarter. First Manhattan CO. LLC. now owns 1,034,596 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $15,881,000 after acquiring an additional 207,851 shares in the last quarter. 683 Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Navigator in the fourth quarter worth about $2,916,000. Harvey Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Navigator in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,504,000. Finally, Hodges Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Navigator by 24.8% during the 4th quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. now owns 686,148 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $10,532,000 after purchasing an additional 136,160 shares during the last quarter. 18.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Navigator Company Profile

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.