Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Shares Up 3.8% – Here’s What Happened

Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) rose 3.8% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $12.82 and last traded at $12.92. Approximately 64,192 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 71% from the average daily volume of 220,981 shares. The stock had previously closed at $12.45.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 target price on shares of Navigator in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $21.60.

Navigator Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $889.68 million, a PE ratio of 11.35 and a beta of 1.07. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $13.51 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $15.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.75.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 12th. The shipping company reported $0.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $144.03 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $120.87 million. Navigator had a net margin of 14.48% and a return on equity of 7.40%. Equities analysts forecast that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, March 24th were issued a $0.05 dividend. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.56%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 24th. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio is presently 16.67%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Navigator

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NVGS. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Navigator during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Navigator during the fourth quarter worth approximately $38,000. LPL Financial LLC grew its holdings in Navigator by 18.5% during the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 12,638 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $194,000 after purchasing an additional 1,976 shares during the last quarter. Aristides Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Navigator by 10.5% in the fourth quarter. Aristides Capital LLC now owns 15,034 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $231,000 after purchasing an additional 1,428 shares during the period. Finally, Corton Capital Inc. bought a new position in shares of Navigator in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $270,000. 18.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.