Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Upgraded by Zacks Research to “Hold” Rating
by Scott Moore · The Cerbat GemZacks Research upgraded shares of Navigator (NYSE:NVGS – Free Report) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Monday,Zacks.com reports.
Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Navigator from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, March 15th. Pareto Securities initiated coverage on shares of Navigator in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Navigator in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.50.
View Our Latest Report on NVGS
Navigator Price Performance
NVGS stock opened at $19.69 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $19.38 and a 200-day moving average price of $17.81. Navigator has a 52-week low of $11.22 and a 52-week high of $21.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.30, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.18.
Navigator (NYSE:NVGS – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The shipping company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.39 by ($0.07). Navigator had a net margin of 17.06% and a return on equity of 6.35%. The business had revenue of $152.83 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $136.15 million. Equities research analysts forecast that Navigator will post 1.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Navigator Announces Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 23rd were given a $0.07 dividend. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 23rd. Navigator’s payout ratio is 18.92%.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Navigator
Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. grew its position in 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 bought a new stake in Navigator in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its position in Navigator by 2,794.4% in 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 period. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in Navigator in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. bought a new stake in Navigator in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $43,000. Institutional investors own 18.95% of the company’s stock.
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).