BNP Paribas Financial Markets Buys 39,669 Shares of Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS)

BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in shares of Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS - Free Report) by 784.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 44,728 shares of the shipping company's stock after purchasing an additional 39,669 shares during the quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets owned approximately 0.06% of Navigator worth $687,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Navigator in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Navigator in the fourth quarter valued at about $38,000. LPL Financial LLC boosted its stake in Navigator by 18.5% in the fourth 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. Aristides Capital LLC boosted its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 1,428 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Magnetar Financial LLC purchased a new position in Navigator in the fourth quarter valued at about $361,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 18.95% of the company's stock.

Navigator Stock Performance

Shares of NVGS traded up $0.02 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $14.23. 31,615 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 230,476. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $13.01 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $14.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.75. The stock has a market cap of $987.19 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.58 and a beta of 0.77. Navigator Holdings Ltd. has a 1 year low of $10.55 and a 1 year high of $18.18.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 14th. The shipping company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.30 by $0.06. Navigator had a net margin of 14.48% and a return on equity of 7.40%. The firm had revenue of $151.41 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $128.26 million. Equities analysts anticipate that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Navigator Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 29th will be given a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.41%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 29th. Navigator's dividend payout ratio is presently 15.63%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen lowered Navigator from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $20.00 target price on shares of Navigator in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Navigator has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target 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.