Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Reaches New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS)’s share price reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $18.41 and last traded at $18.4040, with a volume of 373430 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $17.60.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NVGS has been the subject of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Navigator in a report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Navigator from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of Navigator in a research note on Thursday, September 25th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $24.00 target price for the company. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 price target on shares of Navigator in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Navigator from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 27th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Navigator has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $21.50.

Navigator Stock Performance

The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $17.52 and its 200-day simple moving average is $16.35. 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 company has a market capitalization of $1.24 billion, a PE ratio of 14.50, a PEG ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 0.42.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The shipping company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.36. The business had revenue of $153.09 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $133.84 million. Navigator had a return on equity of 6.83% and a net margin of 17.85%. On average, research analysts predict that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Navigator Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 25th were given a $0.07 dividend. This is an increase from Navigator’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.05. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 25th. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.54%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Navigator

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. California State Teachers Retirement System acquired a new position in Navigator during the second quarter worth about $29,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position 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 worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 1,984 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in Navigator in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. acquired a new stake in Navigator during the 3rd quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. purchased a new position in Navigator during the second quarter worth $47,000. 18.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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).