Petrus Trust Company LTA Grows Position in Navigator Holdings Ltd. $NVGS

Key Points

• Petrus Trust Company LTA increased its stake in Navigator Holdings Ltd. by 96.8%, holding 90,002 shares valued at approximately $1.2 million.
• Analysts have given Navigator a consensus Buy rating with a target price of $21.67, though one analyst downgraded the rating from "buy" to "hold."
• Navigator recently reported $0.14 EPS for the quarter, falling short of expectations, and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.05 per share.

Petrus Trust Company LTA increased its holdings in shares of Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS - Free Report) by 96.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 90,002 shares of the shipping company's stock after purchasing an additional 44,270 shares during the quarter. Navigator accounts for 0.1% of Petrus Trust Company LTA's portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. Petrus Trust Company LTA owned about 0.13% of Navigator worth $1,198,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Madison Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Navigator in the first quarter valued at about $133,000. Quarry LP bought a new position in Navigator in the first quarter valued at about $194,000. XTX Topco Ltd bought a new position in Navigator in the first quarter valued at about $199,000. PDT Partners LLC bought a new position in Navigator in the first quarter valued at about $200,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP lifted its holdings in Navigator by 476.9% in the first quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 31,786 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $423,000 after acquiring an additional 26,276 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 18.95% of the company's stock.

Navigator Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NVGS traded down $0.05 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $16.43. 266,974 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 367,764. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.53. Navigator Holdings Ltd. has a 52-week low of $10.55 and a 52-week high of $17.52. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $15.87 and its 200 day simple moving average is $14.43. The company has a market cap of $1.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.94 and a beta of 0.67.

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

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 28th will be given a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date 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 currently 15.75%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Navigator from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $19.00 price target on shares of Navigator in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $21.67.

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.