BW LPG (NYSE:BWLP) Sees Large Volume Increase – Still a Buy?

Shares of BW LPG Limited (NYSE:BWLP) saw unusually-high trading volume on Friday . Approximately 276,185 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 10% from the previous session’s volume of 308,129 shares.The stock last traded at $12.7690 and had previously closed at $13.10.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on BWLP shares. Clarkson Capital raised BW LPG from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of BW LPG in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

BW LPG Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $1.69 billion and a P/E ratio of 11.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 1.47 and a quick ratio of 1.24. The company has a fifty day moving average of $12.75 and a 200 day moving average of $13.51.

BW LPG (NYSE:BWLP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 2nd. The company reported $0.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.57 by ($0.19). BW LPG had a net margin of 4.57% and a return on equity of 8.78%. The firm had revenue of $279.98 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $242.92 million.

BW LPG Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 12th were given a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 12.5%. This is a boost from BW LPG’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 12th. BW LPG’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 141.59%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BW LPG

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in BWLP. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new stake in shares of BW LPG in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in BW LPG in the second quarter worth approximately $47,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets bought a new position in shares of BW LPG in the third quarter valued at $62,000. Optiver Holding B.V. lifted its position in shares of BW LPG by 99.3% during the 3rd quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. now owns 4,541 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 2,263 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its stake in shares of BW LPG by 24.6% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 7,086 shares of the company’s stock worth $84,000 after acquiring an additional 1,400 shares in the last quarter.

BW LPG Company Profile

BW LPG (NYSE: BWLP) is a pure‐play owner and operator of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers. The company’s core business centers on the maritime transportation of LPG, predominantly propane and butane, under both time‐ and voyage‐charter arrangements. Its fleet comprises pressurized and semi‐refrigerated vessels designed to meet the specific requirements of LPG producers, traders and end‐users around the world.

Headquartered in Singapore, BW LPG serves a global customer base, with commercial offices in key energy hubs including Houston, London, Dubai and Tokyo.