Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Cut to “Strong Sell” at Zacks Research

Zacks Research lowered shares of Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report report published on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Navigator from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 price objective on shares of Navigator in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Pareto Securities initiated coverage on Navigator in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Navigator in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $21.50.

Navigator Stock Up 3.4%

Navigator stock opened at $18.19 on Thursday. Navigator has a fifty-two week low of $10.55 and a fifty-two week high of $18.83. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $17.80 and its 200 day simple moving average is $16.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.18. The stock has a market cap of $1.26 billion, a PE ratio of 12.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 0.40.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Navigator

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Millennium Management LLC grew its position in shares of Navigator by 16.4% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 542,756 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $7,224,000 after purchasing an additional 76,287 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in Navigator by 18.0% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 50,885 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $677,000 after purchasing an additional 7,777 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC grew its holdings in Navigator by 674.7% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 85,843 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $1,143,000 after buying an additional 74,762 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Navigator during the second quarter valued at approximately $383,000. Finally, Corton Capital Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Navigator during the second quarter valued at approximately $153,000. 18.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Navigator Company Profile

Navigator Holdings Ltd. is a global shipping company specializing in the seaborne transportation of liquefied gases. The company’s fleet is purpose-built to carry a range of petrochemical gases, including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), ethylene, propylene and ammonia. Navigator’s vessels are designed to meet the stringent safety and environmental standards required for handling pressurized and refrigerated gases, offering flexible capacity to customers across the energy and chemical sectors.

Navigator operates one of the largest and most modern fleets of gas carriers in the industry, with vessels ranging from fully pressurized gas carriers to specialized very large ethane carriers (VLECs).