BW LPG (NYSE:BWLP) Shares Gap Down on Analyst Downgrade

BW LPG Limited (NYSE:BWLP)’s share price gapped down prior to trading on Wednesday after Dnb Carnegie downgraded the stock from a hold rating to a strong sell rating. The stock had previously closed at $17.26, but opened at $15.45. BW LPG shares last traded at $15.4790, with a volume of 299,625 shares traded.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on BWLP. Clarkson Capital upgraded shares of BW LPG from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of BW LPG in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Institutional Trading of BW LPG

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of BWLP. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in shares of BW LPG during the third quarter worth about $36,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC purchased a new stake in BW LPG in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in BW LPG in the second quarter valued at approximately $47,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets bought a new stake in BW LPG during the third quarter valued at approximately $62,000. Finally, Optiver Holding B.V. lifted its position in BW LPG by 99.3% during the third quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. now owns 4,541 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 2,263 shares during the last quarter.

BW LPG Trading Down 4.8%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.50. The firm has a market cap of $2.23 billion and a PE ratio of 9.20. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $15.77 and its 200 day simple moving average is $14.31.

BW LPG (NYSE:BWLP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The company reported $0.69 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.09. BW LPG had a net margin of 6.76% and a return on equity of 12.61%. The firm had revenue of $732.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $217.18 million.

BW LPG Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $5.4297 dividend. This is a boost from BW LPG’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. This represents a $21.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 147.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. BW LPG’s payout ratio is currently 100.00%.

BW LPG Company Profile

BW LPG (NYSE: BWLP) is a pure‐play owner and operator of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers. The company’s core business centers on the maritime transportation of LPG, predominantly propane and butane, under both time‐ and voyage‐charter arrangements. Its fleet comprises pressurized and semi‐refrigerated vessels designed to meet the specific requirements of LPG producers, traders and end‐users around the world.

Headquartered in Singapore, BW LPG serves a global customer base, with commercial offices in key energy hubs including Houston, London, Dubai and Tokyo.