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

StockNews.com cut shares of Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

NVGS has been the subject of a number of other reports. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a buy rating and set a $20.00 target price on shares of Navigator in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of 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 raised shares of Navigator from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $20.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 22nd.

Navigator Price Performance

Shares of Navigator stock opened at $15.53 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.27 and a beta of 1.51. Navigator has a twelve month low of $13.56 and a twelve month high of $18.18. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $16.50 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $16.06.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 14th. The shipping company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $129.55 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $117.92 million. Navigator had a net margin of 14.76% and a return on equity of 7.35%. Analysts forecast that Navigator will post 1.38 EPS for the current year.

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 24th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.29%. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio is currently 17.09%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NVGS. Ghisallo Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Navigator in the second quarter worth about $1,746,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in Navigator during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Quarry LP bought a new position in Navigator in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in Navigator by 14.4% in the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 661,288 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $11,546,000 after buying an additional 83,344 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Encompass Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Navigator during the second quarter worth $23,571,000. Institutional investors own 18.95% of the company’s stock.

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.