Renaissance Technologies LLC Reduces Holdings in Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS)

Renaissance Technologies LLC cut its holdings in shares of Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS - Free Report) by 10.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 675,288 shares of the shipping company's stock after selling 76,100 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC owned 0.92% of Navigator worth $10,366,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of NVGS. Aristides Capital LLC raised its stake in Navigator by 10.5% during the 4th quarter. Aristides Capital LLC now owns 15,034 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $231,000 after acquiring an additional 1,428 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership acquired a new stake in shares of Navigator during the fourth quarter worth $856,000. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Navigator in the 4th quarter valued at $38,000. LPL Financial LLC increased its stake in Navigator by 18.5% in the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 12,638 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $194,000 after buying an additional 1,976 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. raised its position in 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 buying an additional 27,584 shares during the last quarter. 18.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $20.00 target price on shares of Navigator in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $21.60.

Navigator Price Performance

Navigator stock traded down $0.14 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $12.09. The company's stock had a trading volume of 233,875 shares, compared to its average volume of 220,398. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.75. Navigator Holdings Ltd. has a fifty-two week low of $10.55 and a fifty-two week high of $18.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $838.67 million, a PE ratio of 10.69 and a beta of 1.07. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $13.74 and its 200 day simple moving average is $15.20.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 12th. The shipping company reported $0.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.01. Navigator had a net margin of 14.48% and a return on equity of 7.40%. The firm had revenue of $144.03 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $120.87 million. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Navigator Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, March 24th were issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 24th. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.65%. Navigator's dividend payout ratio is presently 16.67%.

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.