Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Downgraded by StockNews.com

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

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on the company. DNB Markets assumed coverage on Navigator in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. They issued a buy rating and a $22.00 price target for the company. Citigroup started coverage on Navigator in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. They set a buy rating and a $22.00 target price for the company. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a buy rating and set a $20.00 target price on shares of Navigator in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, Clarkson Capital raised shares of Navigator from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $20.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $21.00.

Navigator Stock Down 1.8 %

Shares of NYSE NVGS opened at $16.07 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $16.07 and its 200 day simple moving average is $16.17. The company has a market cap of $1.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.74 and a beta of 1.50. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. Navigator has a 12-month low of $13.68 and a 12-month high of $18.18.

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

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 24th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.24%. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio is currently 17.09%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Navigator

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in Navigator during the 2nd quarter valued at $38,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Navigator during the 2nd quarter valued at $48,000. Perkins Coie Trust Co acquired a new stake in Navigator during the 2nd quarter valued at $105,000. Aristides Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Navigator during the 1st quarter valued at $252,000. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new stake in Navigator during the 2nd quarter valued at $279,000. 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.