Jefferies Financial Group Reiterates Buy Rating for Navigator (NYSE:NVGS)

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 reaffirmed by Jefferies Financial Group in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $19.00 price objective on the shipping company's stock. Jefferies Financial Group's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 20.63% from the company's previous close.

Separately, Wall Street Zen downgraded Navigator from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $21.25.

Navigator Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of NVGS stock traded down $0.24 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $15.75. 574,406 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 377,765. Navigator has a 1 year low of $10.55 and a 1 year high of $17.52. The company's 50 day moving average is $15.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The firm has a market cap of $1.09 billion, a PE ratio of 12.30 and a beta of 0.74.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 12th. The shipping company reported $0.14 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by ($0.22). The company had revenue of $129.64 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $126.73 million. Navigator had a return on equity of 7.83% and a net margin of 15.42%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Navigator will post 1.25 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Navigator

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. First Manhattan CO. LLC. grew its holdings in Navigator by 25.1% in the fourth quarter. First Manhattan CO. LLC. now owns 1,034,596 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $15,881,000 after purchasing an additional 207,851 shares during the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP grew its holdings in Navigator by 1.0% in the first quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 1,010,684 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $13,452,000 after purchasing an additional 9,570 shares during the last quarter. Gagnon Securities LLC grew its holdings in Navigator by 2.3% in the second quarter. Gagnon Securities LLC now owns 871,008 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $12,325,000 after purchasing an additional 19,365 shares during the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Navigator by 2.1% in the second quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 689,545 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $9,757,000 after purchasing an additional 14,100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP grew its holdings in Navigator by 266.4% in the fourth quarter. First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP now owns 682,516 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $10,477,000 after purchasing an additional 496,220 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 18.95% of the company's stock.

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.

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