Analysts Set Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) Price Target at $21.50

Shares of Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the five research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $21.50.

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Navigator from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, January 18th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Navigator from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Pareto Securities initiated coverage on shares of Navigator in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 target price on shares of Navigator in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Navigator in a research note on Monday, December 29th.

Navigator Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of NVGS stock opened at $18.49 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $1.28 billion, a PE ratio of 12.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.40 and a beta of 0.42. Navigator has a 1 year low of $10.55 and a 1 year high of $18.83. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $17.78 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $16.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 1.14.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The shipping company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.36. The firm had revenue of $153.09 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $133.84 million. Navigator had a return on equity of 6.83% and a net margin of 17.85%. Research analysts predict that Navigator will post 1.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Navigator Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 25th were given a dividend of $0.07 per share. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. This is a positive change from Navigator’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.05. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 25th. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio is 18.54%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Navigator

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its position in shares of Navigator by 1,124.1% in the 4th quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 1,677 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 1,540 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System purchased a new stake in Navigator during the second quarter worth $29,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in Navigator by 2,794.4% during the third quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,055 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 1,984 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in Navigator during the 2nd quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Navigator in the 3rd quarter valued at $43,000. 18.95% of the stock is currently owned by 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).