BW LPG Limited (NYSE:BWLP) Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is moderately bullish: BW LPG has a “Moderate Buy” consensus from five analysts, with four buy ratings and one hold. Several brokerages recently upgraded the stock to buy.
• Quarterly earnings missed expectations: BW LPG reported EPS of $0.79 versus the $1.17 consensus estimate, despite revenue of $1.01 billion.
• The dividend increased substantially: The company paid NOK 8.89 per share for the quarter, up from NOK 6.20, representing an annualized yield of about 147.8%; its payout ratio stood at 129.25%.

Shares of BW LPG Limited (NYSE:BWLP - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the five ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company.

BWLP has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings raised BW LPG from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Pareto Securities raised BW LPG from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Clarkson Capital upgraded BW LPG from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded BW LPG from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th.

BW LPG Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BWLP opened at $24.06 on Friday. BW LPG has a one year low of $11.72 and a one year high of $26.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.18 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $23.30 and a 200-day simple moving average of $20.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a current ratio of 1.44.

BW LPG (NYSE:BWLP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Saturday, August 29th. The company reported $0.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.17 by ($0.38). The company had revenue of $1.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $318.01 million. BW LPG had a return on equity of 22.48% and a net margin of 12.64%.

BW LPG Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 8th were given a dividend of NOK 8.89 per share. This represents a $35.57 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 147.8%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 8th. This is an increase from BW LPG's previous quarterly dividend of NOK 6.20. BW LPG's payout ratio is currently 129.25%.

Institutional Trading of BW LPG

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership acquired a new position in shares of BW LPG during the first quarter worth about $9,646,000. Fearnley Asset Management AS purchased a new stake in BW LPG in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $5,388,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its holdings in BW LPG by 54.2% in the 1st quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 387,070 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,799,000 after purchasing an additional 136,000 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in BW LPG in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $6,218,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new position in BW LPG during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,626,000.

About BW LPG

BW LPG Limited NYSE: BWLP is a Singapore-based maritime company that owns and operates very large gas carriers (VLGCs) used to transport liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), primarily propane and butane. The company provides seaborne transportation services to energy producers, commodity traders, and other customers involved in the global LPG supply chain.

BW LPG's activities include vessel ownership, ship management, commercial operation, and fleet optimization. Its ships transport LPG on international trade routes connecting major exporting regions, including the Middle East and the United States, with import markets in Asia, Europe, and other parts of the world.

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