Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Posts Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.07 EPS

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) issued its earnings results on Wednesday. The shipping company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.39 by ($0.07), FiscalAI reports. Navigator had a return on equity of 6.83% and a net margin of 17.85%.The firm had revenue of $152.83 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $136.15 million.

Navigator Stock Down 9.9%

NYSE NVGS traded down $2.03 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $18.42. The company had a trading volume of 74,767 shares, compared to its average volume of 276,081. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $18.99 and its 200 day moving average is $17.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 1.14. Navigator has a fifty-two week low of $10.55 and a fifty-two week high of $21.36. The company has a market capitalization of $1.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.37.

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 23rd will be issued a $0.07 dividend. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 23rd. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.54%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Navigator

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. California State Teachers Retirement System acquired a new stake in shares of Navigator in the second quarter valued at about $29,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in shares of Navigator by 2,794.4% during the 3rd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,055 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 1,984 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in Navigator during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $42,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. purchased a new position in Navigator in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $43,000. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in Navigator by 21,406.3% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 3,441 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 3,425 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 18.95% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Pareto Securities initiated coverage on Navigator in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Wall Street Zen raised Navigator from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 7th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Navigator in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Navigator from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Navigator currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.50.

Navigator Company Profile

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).