Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts give Navigator an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from five covering firms, with an average 12-month price target of $21.50.
• In its most recent quarter Navigator reported EPS $0.32, missing consensus of $0.39, while revenue of $152.83 million topped expectations of $136.15 million.
• The company has a market capitalization of $1.29 billion, a PE of 13.34 and pays a quarterly dividend of $0.07 (about a 1.4% yield), with a 1‑year stock range of $12.01–$21.36.

Shares of Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the five analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $21.50.

A number of research firms have commented on NVGS. Zacks Research upgraded Navigator from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Navigator in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Navigator from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, March 15th.

Institutional Trading of Navigator

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in Navigator by 3.9% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 142,663 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $2,471,000 after buying an additional 5,322 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its holdings in Navigator by 9.4% during the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 312,679 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $5,416,000 after purchasing an additional 26,932 shares in the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new stake in Navigator during the fourth quarter worth approximately $182,000. Numerai GP LLC acquired a new stake in Navigator during the fourth quarter worth approximately $425,000. Finally, Millennium Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Navigator during the fourth quarter worth about $259,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 18.95% of the company's stock.

Navigator Price Performance

NVGS stock opened at $19.74 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 1.12. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $19.46 and a 200-day simple moving average of $17.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.29 billion, a PE ratio of 13.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.45. Navigator has a 1 year low of $12.01 and a 1 year high of $21.36.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The shipping company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.39 by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $152.83 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $136.15 million. Navigator had a net margin of 17.06% and a return on equity of 6.35%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Navigator will post 1.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Navigator Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 23rd were paid a $0.07 dividend. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 23rd. Navigator's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.92%.

About Navigator

Navigator Holdings Ltd. is a global shipping company specializing in the seaborne transportation of liquefied gases. The company's fleet is purpose-built to carry a range of petrochemical gases, including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), ethylene, propylene and ammonia. Navigator's vessels are designed to meet the stringent safety and environmental standards required for handling pressurized and refrigerated gases, offering flexible capacity to customers across the energy and chemical sectors.

Navigator operates one of the largest and most modern fleets of gas carriers in the industry, with vessels ranging from fully pressurized gas carriers to specialized very large ethane carriers (VLECs).

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