Hodges Capital Management Inc. Purchases 136,160 Shares of Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS)

Hodges Capital Management Inc. increased its position in Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) by 24.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 686,148 shares of the shipping company’s stock after acquiring an additional 136,160 shares during the quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. owned about 0.94% of Navigator worth $10,532,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Graham Capital Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Navigator during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $3,444,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Navigator during the third quarter worth $907,000. Sei Investments Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Navigator by 108.6% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 70,256 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $1,227,000 after acquiring an additional 36,571 shares during the period. Moors & Cabot Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Navigator in the third quarter valued at $1,210,000. Finally, Millennium Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Navigator by 14.4% during the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 661,288 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $11,546,000 after purchasing an additional 83,344 shares during the period. 18.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NVGS has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Alliance Global Partners began coverage on Navigator in a report on Monday, October 28th. They set a “buy” rating and a $24.00 target price for the company. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 price objective on shares of Navigator in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Navigator from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 8th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Navigator presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $21.60.

Navigator Trading Down 2.3 %

Shares of NVGS opened at $16.65 on Monday. Navigator Holdings Ltd. has a 1-year low of $14.55 and a 1-year high of $18.18. The company has a market capitalization of $1.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.73 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.71. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $15.87 and its 200 day simple moving average is $15.99.

Navigator Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 25th were issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.20%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 25th. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio is currently 17.70%.

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.