DNB Markets Begins Coverage on Navigator (NYSE:NVGS)

Investment analysts at DNB Markets assumed coverage on shares of Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) in a report issued on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm set a “buy” rating and a $22.00 price target on the shipping company’s stock. DNB Markets’ price target suggests a potential upside of 40.66% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on NVGS. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Navigator from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, September 7th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $20.00 target price on shares of Navigator in a research note 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 target on the stock. Finally, Clarkson Capital raised Navigator from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 price target for the company in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Navigator has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.00.

Navigator Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of NVGS opened at $15.64 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The stock has a market cap of $1.14 billion, a PE ratio of 13.37 and a beta of 1.50. Navigator has a 1 year low of $13.68 and a 1 year high of $18.18. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $16.25 and a 200-day simple moving average of $16.07.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 14th. The shipping company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $129.55 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $117.92 million. Navigator had a return on equity of 7.35% and a net margin of 14.76%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Navigator will post 1.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Encompass Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Navigator in the 2nd quarter valued at $23,571,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Navigator by 145.7% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,086,016 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $16,641,000 after buying an additional 644,011 shares during the period. Hodges Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Navigator by 89.3% during the first quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. now owns 522,535 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $8,021,000 after buying an additional 246,505 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP grew its position in shares of Navigator by 361.3% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 207,039 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $3,615,000 after buying an additional 162,160 shares during the period. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its stake in shares of Navigator by 15.8% in the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 787,700 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $13,753,000 after acquiring an additional 107,300 shares during the last quarter. 18.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.