Analysts Set Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) Price Target at $21.60

Shares of Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of "Buy" from the five analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $21.60.

A number of research firms have recently commented on NVGS. Wall Street Zen cut 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 target price on shares of Navigator in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th.

Navigator Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of NVGS traded up $0.24 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $14.23. 367,901 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 231,214. The stock has a market cap of $987.53 million, a P/E ratio of 12.59 and a beta of 0.77. The stock's 50-day moving average is $13.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.77. Navigator has a 12 month low of $10.55 and a 12 month high of $18.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.71.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 14th. The shipping company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.30 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $151.41 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $128.26 million. Navigator had a return on equity of 7.40% and a net margin of 14.48%. Research analysts forecast that Navigator will post 1.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 17th. Investors 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.41%. Navigator's payout ratio is 15.63%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Aristides Capital LLC increased its position in Navigator by 10.5% during the 4th quarter. Aristides Capital LLC now owns 15,034 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $231,000 after purchasing an additional 1,428 shares during the period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd increased its holdings in Navigator by 6.1% during the fourth quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 26,913 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $413,000 after buying an additional 1,540 shares during the period. LPL Financial LLC raised its stake in Navigator by 18.5% in the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 12,638 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $194,000 after buying an additional 1,976 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in Navigator in the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, New Age Alpha Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Navigator during the fourth quarter worth $38,000. 18.95% of the stock is currently owned by 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.