Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Shares Pass Above Fifty Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report)'s stock price crossed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $13.39 and traded as high as $14.64. Navigator shares last traded at $14.35, with a volume of 364,314 shares traded.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Navigator from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $20.00 price objective on shares of Navigator in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Navigator currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $21.60.

Navigator Stock Down 0.0%

The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $13.54 and a 200 day moving average price of $14.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.38 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 14th. The shipping company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.30 by $0.06. Navigator had a return on equity of 7.83% and a net margin of 15.42%. The company had revenue of $151.41 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $128.26 million. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 29th were given a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 29th. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.37%. Navigator's payout ratio is currently 15.63%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Navigator

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. LPL Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 period. Sei Investments Co. increased its stake in shares of Navigator by 30.8% during the 4th quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 117,108 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $1,798,000 after purchasing an additional 27,584 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership bought a new position in shares of Navigator in the fourth quarter valued at about $856,000. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in Navigator by 31.0% during the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 80,719 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $1,239,000 after acquiring an additional 19,121 shares during the last quarter. Finally, New York State Common Retirement Fund increased its position in Navigator by 12.7% during the 4th quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 87,249 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $1,339,000 after buying an additional 9,839 shares during the period. 18.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Navigator

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.