Quantbot Technologies LP Grows Stake in Navigator Holdings Ltd. $NVGS

Key Points

• Quantbot Technologies LP increased its stake in Navigator Holdings Ltd. by 476.9%, acquiring an additional 26,276 shares, bringing its total holdings to 31,786 shares valued at approximately $423,000.
• Navigator Holdings reported a quarterly earnings miss with earnings per share of $0.14 against a consensus estimate of $0.36, while revenue exceeded expectations at $129.64 million.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.05 per share, translating to an annualized dividend of $0.20 and a yield of 1.2%, with the dividend payout ratio set at 15.75%.

Quantbot Technologies LP boosted its position in Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS - Free Report) by 476.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 31,786 shares of the shipping company's stock after buying an additional 26,276 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP's holdings in Navigator were worth $423,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in NVGS. Madison Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Navigator in the 1st quarter valued at about $133,000. LPL Financial LLC lifted its position in Navigator by 18.5% in the 4th 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 in the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd bought a new position in Navigator in the 1st quarter valued at about $199,000. Corton Capital Inc. bought a new position in Navigator in the 4th quarter valued at about $270,000. Finally, State of Wyoming lifted its position in Navigator by 22.4% in the 4th quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 34,143 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $524,000 after acquiring an additional 6,244 shares in the last quarter. 18.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Navigator Stock Up 0.2%

NVGS stock traded up $0.04 during trading on Monday, reaching $16.09. The stock had a trading volume of 268,930 shares, compared to its average volume of 318,946. Navigator Holdings Ltd. has a one year low of $10.55 and a one year high of $17.52. The company has a quick ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The company's 50 day moving average is $15.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.41. The company has a market capitalization of $1.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.67 and a beta of 0.67.

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

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 28th will be paid a $0.05 dividend. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 28th. Navigator's payout ratio is presently 15.75%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NVGS has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Navigator from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed 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, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $21.67.

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.