Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Lowered to Hold Rating by Wall Street Zen

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) was downgraded by Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Sunday.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on NVGS. Zacks Research lowered shares of Navigator from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Navigator in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Pareto Securities initiated coverage on shares of Navigator in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Navigator presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.50.

Navigator Stock Performance

Shares of NVGS opened at $18.02 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.18, a PEG ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.37. Navigator has a 52-week low of $10.55 and a 52-week high of $21.36. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The business’s 50 day moving average is $19.02 and its two-hundred day moving average is $17.47.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The shipping company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.39 by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $152.83 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $136.15 million. Navigator had a return on equity of 6.34% and a net margin of 17.06%. Analysts forecast that Navigator will post 1.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Navigator

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its stake in Navigator by 1,124.1% in the fourth quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 1,677 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 1,540 shares during the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System acquired a new position in shares of Navigator during the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in shares of Navigator by 2,794.4% during the 3rd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,055 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 1,984 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Navigator during the 3rd quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in shares of Navigator in the 2nd quarter valued at $42,000. Institutional investors own 18.95% of the company’s stock.

Navigator News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Navigator this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Navigator filed its Annual Report on Form 20‑F for year ended Dec 31, 2025, maintaining SEC compliance and providing updated disclosure on its fleet (55 vessels) and joint‑venture terminal exposure — a transparency positive for investors. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Company declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.07 per share (record 3/23, payable 3/31), supporting income investors and signaling board confidence in cash generation. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Liquidity and cash flow strengthened in the quarter — cash & equivalents rose to ~$204.9M (up ~47% YoY) and cash from operations improved — which cushions the balance sheet amid higher liabilities and capex. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcript and slide deck are available (useful for details on outlook, chartering and commodity exposure) but so far have not materially changed consensus guidance; investors can review management commentary. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: The company posted its Q4 presentation and supplemental materials for investor review (slides may clarify fleet utilization and 2026 expectations). Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 EPS missed consensus: $0.32 reported vs. $0.39 expected (market reacted negatively). Net income and diluted EPS declined year‑over‑year, driving near‑term selling pressure despite revenue coming in above estimates. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Following the earnings release the stock experienced a notable intraday drop (market priced in the EPS miss and lower net income), and some large institutional reshuffling was disclosed in recent filings. Read More.

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).