Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Shares Cross Above 50-Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Navigator shares moved above their 50-day moving average, reaching $23.39 and last trading near $22.95, compared with a 50-day average of $22.23.
• Analyst sentiment is generally positive: four analysts rate NVGS a Buy and one rates it Hold, producing a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average price target of $23.00.
• Navigator reported quarterly EPS of $0.85, beating the $0.53 consensus estimate, while revenue of $167.94 million also exceeded expectations. The company pays a $0.07 quarterly dividend, but two insiders recently sold shares.

Shares of Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) crossed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $22.23 and traded as high as $23.39. Navigator shares last traded at $22.9510, with a volume of 326,971 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NVGS has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded Navigator from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Zacks Research downgraded Navigator from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Navigator from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $23.00.

Navigator Trading Down 0.3%

The company has a market cap of $1.41 billion, a PE ratio of 10.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.71 and a quick ratio of 1.62. The company has a 50-day moving average of $22.23 and a 200 day moving average of $21.44.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The shipping company reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.32. Navigator had a return on equity of 10.45% and a net margin of 22.80%.The company had revenue of $167.94 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $139.46 million. Analysts predict that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Navigator Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 19th were paid a dividend of $0.07 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 19th. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Navigator's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.90%.

Insider Transactions at Navigator

In other Navigator news, insider Oeyvind Lindeman sold 7,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.68, for a total value of $162,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 7,246 shares in the company, valued at approximately $157,093.28. The trade was a 50.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Peter George Charles An Stokes sold 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.28, for a total transaction of $101,400.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 6,910 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $140,134.80. This trade represents a 41.98% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure.

Institutional Trading of Navigator

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. 9823 Capital L.P. purchased a new stake in Navigator in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $183,000. First Dallas Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Navigator in the first quarter worth $267,000. AXQ Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of Navigator in the second quarter worth $268,000. State of Wyoming raised its holdings in shares of Navigator by 242.1% during the first quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 14,661 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $283,000 after purchasing an additional 10,376 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BTG Pactual Asset Management US LLC lifted its position in Navigator by 72.3% during the second quarter. BTG Pactual Asset Management US LLC now owns 18,797 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $350,000 after purchasing an additional 7,890 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 18.95% of the company's stock.

About Navigator

Navigator Holdings Ltd. NYSE: NVGS, doing business as Navigator Gas, is a maritime transportation company that owns and operates a fleet of gas carriers. The company specializes in the seaborne transportation of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), petrochemical gases such as ethylene, and ammonia.

Navigator Gas serves energy, petrochemical and industrial-gas customers through international shipping routes. Its vessels are designed to transport liquefied gases in various cargo sizes and temperature conditions, supporting the movement of products between production centers, export terminals and regional markets worldwide.

In addition to its shipping operations, the company has interests in marine infrastructure connected with the handling and export of liquefied gases.

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