Two Sigma Advisers LP Reduces Stock Position in Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS)

Two Sigma Advisers LP decreased its position in Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS - Free Report) by 12.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 452,700 shares of the shipping company's stock after selling 65,100 shares during the quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP owned 0.62% of Navigator worth $6,949,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of NVGS. State of Wyoming increased its stake in shares of Navigator by 22.4% during the 4th quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 34,143 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $524,000 after purchasing an additional 6,244 shares during the last quarter. Man Group plc boosted its stake in shares of Navigator by 159.9% during the fourth quarter. Man Group plc now owns 203,441 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $3,123,000 after purchasing an additional 125,178 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth acquired a new position in shares of Navigator in the fourth quarter worth approximately $554,000. First Manhattan CO. LLC. raised its stake in Navigator by 25.1% during the 4th quarter. First Manhattan CO. LLC. now owns 1,034,596 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $15,881,000 after buying an additional 207,851 shares during the period. Finally, First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP raised its position in Navigator by 266.4% in the 4th quarter. First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP now owns 682,516 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $10,477,000 after buying an additional 496,220 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 18.95% of the company's stock.

Navigator Trading Up 0.7%

NYSE NVGS traded up $0.11 during trading on Thursday, hitting $14.30. 110,622 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 231,554. The firm has a market cap of $992.04 million, a P/E ratio of 12.65 and a beta of 0.77. Navigator Holdings Ltd. has a 12-month low of $10.55 and a 12-month high of $18.18. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $13.02 and a two-hundred day moving average of $14.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.71.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) last announced 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 return on equity of 7.40% and a net margin of 14.48%. The company had revenue of $151.41 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $128.26 million. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.25 EPS for the current year.

Navigator Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 29th will be issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 29th. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.40%. Navigator's dividend payout ratio is currently 15.63%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on NVGS shares. 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. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Navigator from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $21.60.

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.