Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Reaches New 12-Month High – Time to Buy?

Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) shares hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The company traded as high as $17.66 and last traded at $17.5550, with a volume of 349727 shares. The stock had previously closed at $16.93.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NVGS has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Navigator from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Navigator from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Navigator in a research report on Thursday, September 25th. They set a “buy” rating and a $24.00 price target for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $19.00 price objective on shares of Navigator in a report on Wednesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $21.50.

Navigator Price Performance

The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $15.94 and its 200-day simple moving average is $15.16. The stock has a market cap of $1.18 billion, a PE ratio of 13.41 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a quick ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The shipping company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36. Navigator had a net margin of 15.57% and a return on equity of 6.56%. The company had revenue of $153.09 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $133.84 million. On average, research analysts expect that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Navigator Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 25th will be given a $0.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 25th. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. This is an increase from Navigator’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.05. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio is 13.25%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Navigator

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Navigator by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 132,508 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $1,875,000 after buying an additional 1,892 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System purchased a new stake in Navigator during the second quarter valued at $29,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in Navigator in the second quarter valued at about $42,000. Tidal Investments LLC boosted its position in Navigator by 11.5% in the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 29,272 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $414,000 after purchasing an additional 3,023 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aristides Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Navigator by 21.3% during the 2nd quarter. Aristides Capital LLC now owns 17,708 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $251,000 after purchasing an additional 3,110 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors 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.