BW LPG (NYSE:BWLP) Sets New 12-Month High - Here's Why

Key Points

• BW LPG shares reached a new 52-week high, trading as high as $26.47 and significantly above their 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
• Analyst sentiment is favorable: four analysts rate the stock Buy and one rates it Hold, resulting in a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy.”
• The company missed quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $0.79 per share versus the $1.17 consensus estimate, but increased its quarterly dividend to NOK 8.89, implying a reported annualized yield of 135.1%.

BW LPG Limited (NYSE:BWLP - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday. The stock traded as high as $26.47 and last traded at $26.39, with a volume of 234983 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $26.32.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Pareto Securities upgraded shares of BW LPG from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of BW LPG from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of BW LPG from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Clarkson Capital raised shares of BW LPG from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

BW LPG Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.97 and a beta of 0.97. The business's fifty day moving average price is $24.07 and its 200 day moving average price is $21.11.

BW LPG (NYSE:BWLP - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Saturday, August 29th. The company reported $0.79 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.17 by ($0.38). BW LPG had a return on equity of 22.48% and a net margin of 12.64%.The business had revenue of $1.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $318.01 million.

BW LPG Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 8th were issued a NOK 8.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 8th. This represents a $35.57 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 135.1%. This is a boost from BW LPG's previous quarterly dividend of NOK 6.20. BW LPG's payout ratio is 129.25%.

Institutional Trading of BW LPG

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of BWLP. Pinnacle Holdings LLC purchased a new stake in shares of BW LPG in the second quarter valued at $52,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new position in BW LPG in the 2nd quarter valued at $57,000. Blue Trust Inc. purchased a new position in shares of BW LPG during the 1st quarter worth $65,000. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of BW LPG during the second quarter worth $81,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of BW LPG in the first quarter valued at $183,000.

About BW LPG

BW LPG Ltd. NYSE: BWLP is a maritime transportation company focused on the international seaborne transportation of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The company owns and operates very large gas carriers (VLGCs), which transport propane, butane and other LPG products between major production and consumption markets.

BW LPG provides shipping and related logistics services to energy companies, commodity traders and other customers worldwide. Its activities include vessel ownership and operation, commercial management, ship management and LPG transportation.

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