Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Upgraded to "Buy" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Navigator (NVGS) from "hold" to "buy," and the stock carries a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating with a consensus price target of $21.50.
• Shares opened at $20.88, the company has a market cap of $1.45 billion and a P/E of 13.82, and the stock is trading near its 52-week high of $21.36.
• Multiple institutional investors (including Encompass, First Manhattan, Millennium and Hodges) have recently increased stakes, and about 18.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutions.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report issued on Saturday.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on NVGS. Pareto Securities started coverage on shares of Navigator in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. They set a "buy" rating for the company. Zacks Research downgraded Navigator from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Navigator in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Navigator currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $21.50.

Navigator Stock Performance

NYSE:NVGS opened at $20.88 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The firm has a market cap of $1.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.37. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $18.78 and its 200 day moving average price is $17.34. Navigator has a 1-year low of $10.55 and a 1-year high of $21.36.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Navigator

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Encompass Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Navigator by 7.4% during 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 in the last quarter. First Manhattan CO. LLC. increased its stake in shares of Navigator by 27.8% during the 4th quarter. First Manhattan CO. LLC. now owns 1,430,009 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $24,768,000 after purchasing an additional 311,259 shares in the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Navigator by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 697,119 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $10,798,000 after purchasing an additional 7,574 shares in the last quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Navigator by 31.1% during the 4th quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. now owns 553,323 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $9,584,000 after purchasing an additional 131,351 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in Navigator by 16.4% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 542,756 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $7,224,000 after buying an additional 76,287 shares in the last quarter. 18.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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