Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Rating Lowered to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Jefferies Financial Group restated a buy rating and set a $20.00 price objective on shares of Navigator in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. Citigroup began coverage on Navigator in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. They set a buy rating and a $22.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Clarkson Capital upgraded Navigator from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $20.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd.

Navigator Trading Up 3.5 %

NYSE:NVGS opened at $16.81 on Thursday. Navigator has a 12-month low of $13.46 and a 12-month high of $18.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.37 and a beta of 1.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $16.63 and a 200 day simple moving average of $16.05.

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 24th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.19%. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 17.09%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NVGS. CWM LLC acquired a new position in Navigator during the 4th quarter worth $54,000. M&T Bank Corp acquired a new position in Navigator during the 4th quarter worth $437,000. First Eagle Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Navigator by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 506,438 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $7,369,000 after acquiring an additional 7,645 shares during the period. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in Navigator during the 4th quarter worth $319,000. Finally, Estabrook Capital Management boosted its position in Navigator by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. Estabrook Capital Management now owns 131,448 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $1,913,000 after acquiring an additional 6,700 shares during the period. 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.