Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Shares Gap Down After Earnings Miss

Key Points

• Navigator Holdings Ltd. shares gapped down to $15.25 following an earnings report that fell short of expectations, with earnings per share at $0.14 compared to an anticipated $0.36.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.05 per share, resulting in an annualized dividend of $0.20 and a yield of 1.3%.
• Analysts have lowered Navigator's rating from "buy" to "hold", with a consensus target price of $21.50 based on current market assessments.

Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report)'s stock price gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday after the company announced weaker than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $15.99, but opened at $15.25. Navigator shares last traded at $15.77, with a volume of 123,075 shares.

The shipping company reported $0.14 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.36 by ($0.22). Navigator had a net margin of 15.57% and a return on equity of 6.56%. The firm had revenue of $129.64 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $126.73 million.

Navigator Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 28th will be paid a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 28th. Navigator's dividend payout ratio is 15.75%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $19.00 price objective on shares of Navigator in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. Wall Street Zen cut Navigator from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $21.25.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in NVGS. Tidal Investments LLC boosted its stake in shares of Navigator by 11.5% in the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 29,272 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $414,000 after purchasing an additional 3,023 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Navigator by 3,242.3% during the second quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 70,689 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $1,000,000 after buying an additional 68,574 shares in the last quarter. Encompass Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Navigator by 7.4% in the 2nd quarter. Encompass Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,437,201 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $20,336,000 after acquiring an additional 99,326 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in shares of Navigator by 19.5% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 71,548 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $1,012,000 after acquiring an additional 11,669 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in shares of Navigator by 143.8% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 263,369 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $3,727,000 after acquiring an additional 155,336 shares in the last quarter. 18.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Navigator Trading Down 0.1%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a current ratio of 1.59. The firm has a market cap of $1.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.36 and a beta of 0.74. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $15.29 and a 200-day simple moving average of $14.46.

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.