Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Receives “Buy” Rating from Jefferies Financial Group

Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) in a research report sent to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. Jefferies Financial Group currently has a $20.00 price target on the shipping company’s stock.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on NVGS. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Navigator from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Navigator in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. They issued a buy rating and a $22.00 price target on the stock.

Navigator Trading Down 1.4 %

Shares of NVGS stock opened at $16.08 on Thursday. Navigator has a 12-month low of $12.80 and a 12-month high of $18.18. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $16.62 and its 200 day moving average is $15.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.74 and a beta of 1.51.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 15th. The shipping company reported $0.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.31. Navigator had a net margin of 15.68% and a return on equity of 6.86%. The company had revenue of $119.97 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $121.51 million. Research analysts expect that Navigator will post 1.43 earnings per share for the current year.

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 $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.24%. Navigator’s payout ratio is presently 17.09%.

Institutional Trading of Navigator

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of Navigator during the 2nd quarter valued at $48,000. Millennium Management LLC raised its position 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. Encompass Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Navigator during the 2nd quarter valued at $23,571,000. Marshall Wace LLP raised 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 valued at $3,615,000 after purchasing an additional 162,160 shares during the period. Finally, Evergreen Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Navigator by 266.1% during the 2nd quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 42,995 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $751,000 after purchasing an additional 31,250 shares during the period. 18.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.