Wexford Capital LP Acquires 22,857 Shares of Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS)

Wexford Capital LP raised its holdings in Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS - Free Report) by 36.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 85,425 shares of the shipping company's stock after purchasing an additional 22,857 shares during the period. Wexford Capital LP owned 0.12% of Navigator worth $1,311,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Navigator during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Navigator during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. LPL Financial LLC grew its stake in Navigator by 18.5% during the fourth 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. Aristides Capital LLC grew its stake in Navigator by 10.5% during the fourth quarter. Aristides Capital LLC now owns 15,034 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $231,000 after acquiring an additional 1,428 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Corton Capital Inc. purchased a new position in Navigator during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $270,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 18.95% of the company's stock.

Navigator Price Performance

Navigator stock traded up $0.30 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $13.99. 360,268 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 230,483. Navigator Holdings Ltd. has a one year low of $10.55 and a one year high of $18.18. The stock has a market cap of $971.02 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.38 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.75. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $13.02 and a 200-day moving average price of $14.80.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 14th. The shipping company reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $151.41 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $128.26 million. Navigator had a net margin of 14.48% and a return on equity of 7.40%. On average, equities analysts predict that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 29th will be issued a $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 29th. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.43%. Navigator's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 15.63%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Navigator from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $20.00 price objective on shares of Navigator in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus 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.