Bessemer Group Inc. Makes New Investment in Navigator Holdings Ltd. $NVGS

Bessemer Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 27,096 shares of the shipping company’s stock, valued at approximately $383,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Madison Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Navigator during the 1st quarter worth $133,000. Mraz Amerine & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Navigator in the 2nd quarter worth $166,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of Navigator in the 1st quarter worth $194,000. XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Navigator in the 1st quarter worth $199,000. Finally, PDT Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Navigator in the 1st quarter worth $200,000. 18.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Navigator Stock Performance

Shares of NVGS opened at $16.47 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The stock has a market cap of $1.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.96 and a beta of 0.63. The company has a 50-day moving average of $15.88 and a two-hundred day moving average of $15.04. Navigator Holdings Ltd. has a 12-month low of $10.55 and a 12-month high of $17.52.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 12th. The shipping company reported $0.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36 by ($0.22). The business had revenue of $129.64 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $126.73 million. Navigator had a return on equity of 6.56% and a net margin of 15.57%. As a group, research analysts predict that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Navigator Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 28th were given a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 28th. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. Navigator’s payout ratio is presently 15.75%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NVGS has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $19.00 target price on shares of Navigator in a research note on Wednesday, August 13th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Navigator from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 25th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Navigator in a research note on Thursday, September 25th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $24.00 target price for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.50.

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.