Portolan Capital Management LLC Buys 6,361 Shares of Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS)

Portolan Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) by 2.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 306,769 shares of the shipping company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,361 shares during the quarter. Portolan Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.42% of Navigator worth $4,709,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NVGS. Aristides Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Navigator by 10.5% during the fourth quarter. Aristides Capital LLC now owns 15,034 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $231,000 after buying an additional 1,428 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership bought a new stake in Navigator during the fourth quarter valued at $856,000. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Navigator during the 4th quarter worth about $38,000. LPL Financial LLC raised its position in shares of Navigator by 18.5% in the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 12,638 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $194,000 after acquiring an additional 1,976 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. lifted its stake in shares of Navigator by 30.8% in the 4th quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 117,108 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $1,798,000 after purchasing an additional 27,584 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 18.95% of the company’s stock.

Navigator Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NVGS opened at $12.46 on Monday. 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 firm’s 50-day moving average price is $14.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $15.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $864.70 million, a P/E ratio of 11.03 and a beta of 1.07. Navigator Holdings Ltd. has a 1-year low of $10.55 and a 1-year high of $18.18.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 12th. The shipping company reported $0.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $144.03 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $120.87 million. Navigator had a net margin of 14.48% and a return on equity of 7.40%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Navigator Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, March 24th were issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 24th. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.61%. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 16.67%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed 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 MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.60.

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.