First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP Decreases Holdings in Navigator Holdings Ltd. $NVGS

Key Points

• First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP has reduced its stake in Navigator Holdings Ltd. by 63.9%, now holding approximately 246,204 shares valued at about $3.27 million.
• Despite the stake reduction by First Sabrepoint, other institutional investors like First Manhattan CO. LLC and Man Group plc have increased their positions substantially in Navigator over recent quarters.
• Navigator Holdings reported earnings per share (EPS) of $0.14 for the last quarter, falling short of analyst expectations, while also announcing a quarterly dividend of $0.05 per share with a yield of 1.2%.

First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP trimmed its stake in shares of Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS - Free Report) by 63.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 246,204 shares of the shipping company's stock after selling 436,312 shares during the quarter. Navigator makes up about 1.2% of First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP's portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP owned about 0.35% of Navigator worth $3,277,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in NVGS. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in Navigator by 31.0% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 80,719 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $1,239,000 after acquiring an additional 19,121 shares during the last quarter. First Manhattan CO. LLC. boosted its stake in shares of Navigator by 25.1% in the 4th quarter. First Manhattan CO. LLC. now owns 1,034,596 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $15,881,000 after purchasing an additional 207,851 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in Navigator by 581.3% during the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 58,781 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $782,000 after acquiring an additional 50,153 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in Navigator by 2.3% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 130,616 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $1,738,000 after acquiring an additional 2,911 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC boosted its stake in Navigator by 31.6% during the first quarter. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC now owns 92,069 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $1,225,000 after acquiring an additional 22,117 shares in the last quarter. 18.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on NVGS. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Navigator from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $19.00 price target on shares of Navigator in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Navigator has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $21.67.

Navigator Price Performance

Shares of NVGS stock traded up $0.13 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $16.41. The stock had a trading volume of 113,562 shares, compared to its average volume of 369,570. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $15.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $14.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.14 billion, a PE ratio of 12.92 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. Navigator Holdings Ltd. has a 12 month low of $10.55 and a 12 month high of $17.52.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 12th. The shipping company reported $0.14 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.36 by ($0.22). The company had revenue of $129.64 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $126.73 million. Navigator had a net margin of 15.57% and a return on equity of 6.56%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.25 EPS for the current year.

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 28th will be paid a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 28th. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Navigator's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 15.75%.

Navigator Company Profile

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.