Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Sees Strong Trading Volume - Time to Buy?

Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) saw unusually-high trading volume on Tuesday . Approximately 163,329 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 26% from the previous session's volume of 221,964 shares.The stock last traded at $13.02 and had previously closed at $12.71.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $20.00 price target on shares of Navigator in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Navigator has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $21.60.

Navigator Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $907.03 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.57 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $13.21 and a 200 day simple moving average of $15.01.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 12th. The shipping company reported $0.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.01. Navigator had a net margin of 14.48% and a return on equity of 7.40%. The firm had revenue of $144.03 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $120.87 million. As a group, research analysts predict that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.25 EPS for the current year.

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 24th were given a $0.05 dividend. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.53%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 24th. Navigator's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.67%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Navigator

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. First Manhattan CO. LLC. lifted its position in Navigator by 25.1% during the 4th quarter. First Manhattan CO. LLC. now owns 1,034,596 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $15,881,000 after acquiring an additional 207,851 shares in the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP lifted its position in shares of Navigator by 11.4% during the fourth quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 1,001,114 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $15,367,000 after purchasing an additional 102,711 shares in the last quarter. Gagnon Securities LLC boosted its stake in shares of Navigator by 7.3% in the fourth quarter. Gagnon Securities LLC now owns 852,608 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $13,088,000 after purchasing an additional 57,966 shares during the period. Hodges Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Navigator by 24.8% during the 4th quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. now owns 686,148 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $10,532,000 after purchasing an additional 136,160 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in Navigator by 266.4% in the 4th quarter. First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP now owns 682,516 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $10,477,000 after buying an additional 496,220 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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.