Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Sets New 52-Week Low – What’s Next?

Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) shares reached a new 52-week low on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $13.05 and last traded at $13.12, with a volume of 24886 shares. The stock had previously closed at $13.19.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $20.00 price target on shares of Navigator in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Navigator has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $21.60.

Navigator Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $15.26 and its 200-day moving average is $15.68. The firm has a market cap of $909.11 million, a P/E ratio of 11.59 and a beta of 1.39.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 12th. The shipping company reported $0.38 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $144.03 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $120.87 million. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Navigator Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, March 24th will be paid a $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 24th. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.53%. Navigator’s payout ratio is 16.67%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Navigator

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NVGS. FMR LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Navigator by 108.6% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 178,600 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $2,870,000 after acquiring an additional 92,999 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP lifted its stake in Navigator by 255.4% during the third quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 17,602 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $283,000 after purchasing an additional 12,649 shares during the period. Verition Fund Management LLC boosted its holdings in Navigator by 56.6% during the third quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 26,158 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $420,000 after purchasing an additional 9,458 shares in the last quarter. PDT Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Navigator by 70.5% in the 3rd quarter. PDT Partners LLC now owns 55,325 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $889,000 after purchasing an additional 22,877 shares during the period. Finally, Millburn Ridgefield Corp bought a new position in shares of Navigator during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $92,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.