MQS Management LLC Buys Shares of 51,607 Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS)

MQS Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 51,607 shares of the shipping company's stock, valued at approximately $687,000. MQS Management LLC owned about 0.07% of Navigator as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of NVGS. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Navigator in the fourth quarter worth about $38,000. LPL Financial LLC increased its stake in shares of Navigator by 18.5% in the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 12,638 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $194,000 after purchasing an additional 1,976 shares during the period. Aristides Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of Navigator by 10.5% in the fourth quarter. Aristides Capital LLC now owns 15,034 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $231,000 after purchasing an additional 1,428 shares during the period. Corton Capital Inc. bought a new position in shares of Navigator in the fourth quarter worth about $270,000. Finally, Magnetar Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Navigator in the fourth quarter worth about $361,000. Institutional investors own 18.95% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Wall Street Zen lowered Navigator from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $21.60.

Navigator Trading Down 0.6%

NYSE:NVGS traded down $0.09 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $15.20. 419,932 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 279,189. The company's 50 day moving average is $14.43 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.55. Navigator Holdings Ltd. has a twelve month low of $10.55 and a twelve month high of $17.53. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The company has a market capitalization of $1.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.88 and a beta of 0.78.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 14th. The shipping company reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.06. Navigator had a return on equity of 7.83% and a net margin of 15.42%. The firm had revenue of $151.41 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $128.26 million. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 29th were given a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.32%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 29th. Navigator's payout ratio is 15.63%.

Navigator 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.