Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership Invests $856,000 in Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS)

Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership acquired a new position in shares of Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 55,735 shares of the shipping company's stock, valued at approximately $856,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership owned approximately 0.08% of Navigator at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in Navigator in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Navigator in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $38,000. LPL Financial LLC increased its holdings in shares of Navigator by 18.5% in the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 12,638 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $194,000 after acquiring an additional 1,976 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC raised its position in shares of Navigator by 10.7% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 19,640 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $316,000 after acquiring an additional 1,895 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Magnetar Financial LLC bought a new position in Navigator during the fourth quarter worth $361,000. Institutional investors own 18.95% of the company's stock.

Navigator Stock Performance

Shares of NVGS traded up $0.20 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $12.54. 21,342 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 219,066. 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 Holdings Ltd. has a 1-year low of $10.55 and a 1-year high of $18.18. The business's 50 day moving average price is $14.09 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $15.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $869.90 million, a PE ratio of 11.04 and a beta of 1.07.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 12th. The shipping company reported $0.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.01. Navigator had a net margin of 14.48% and a return on equity of 7.40%. The firm had revenue of $144.03 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $120.87 million. Equities research analysts predict that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Navigator Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 24th were paid a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.60%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 24th. Navigator's payout ratio is currently 16.67%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $20.00 target price on shares of Navigator in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $21.60.

About Navigator

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.