Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Given Buy Rating at Jefferies Financial Group

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group has reiterated a "buy" rating for Navigator Holdings (NYSE: NVGS), setting a price target of $19.00, indicating a potential upside of 20.63% from its previous close.
• In contrast, Wall Street Zen has downgraded Navigator from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating, contributing to a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" among analysts.
• Navigator's recent earnings report showed earnings per share of $0.14, falling short of the consensus estimate of $0.36, despite revenues slightly exceeding expectations at $129.64 million.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy" rating reissued by stock analysts at Jefferies Financial Group in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $19.00 target price on the shipping company's stock. Jefferies Financial Group's price target indicates a potential upside of 21.02% from the company's current price.

Separately, Wall Street Zen downgraded 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 four have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Navigator currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $21.25.

Navigator Price Performance

NYSE NVGS traded down $0.02 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $15.70. The company's stock had a trading volume of 342,811 shares, compared to its average volume of 381,337. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a current ratio of 1.59. The company's 50-day moving average is $15.33 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.45. Navigator has a fifty-two week low of $10.55 and a fifty-two week high of $17.52. The stock has a market cap of $1.09 billion, a PE ratio of 12.36 and a beta of 0.74.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 12th. The shipping company reported $0.14 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by ($0.22). Navigator had a net margin of 15.57% and a return on equity of 6.56%. The business had revenue of $129.64 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $126.73 million. Analysts forecast that Navigator will post 1.25 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Navigator

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in NVGS. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in Navigator by 1.4% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 132,508 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $1,875,000 after acquiring an additional 1,892 shares during the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC increased 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 worth $194,000 after acquiring an additional 1,976 shares during the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System purchased a new position in shares of Navigator in the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in shares of Navigator in the 2nd quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, Tidal Investments LLC grew its holdings in shares of Navigator by 11.5% during the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 29,272 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $414,000 after purchasing an additional 3,023 shares during the period. 18.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.