Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Stock Price Crosses Above 50 Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS)’s share price passed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Monday. The stock has a fifty 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 traded.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on NVGS shares. Wall Street Zen raised Navigator from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Navigator from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Navigator from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Navigator has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $23.00.

Navigator Trading Up 0.8%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 1.62 and a current ratio of 1.71. The company has a market cap of $1.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.68, a P/E/G ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 0.47. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $22.26 and a 200 day simple moving average of $21.46.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The shipping company reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.53 by $0.32. Navigator had a return on equity of 10.45% and a net margin of 22.80%.The firm had revenue of $167.94 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $139.46 million. Analysts anticipate that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Navigator Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 19th were paid a dividend of $0.07 per share. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 19th. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.90%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Navigator

In related news, Director Peter George Charles An Stokes sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.28, for a total value of $101,400.00. Following the sale, the director owned 6,910 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $140,134.80. This trade represents a 41.98% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Oeyvind Lindeman sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the insider owned 7,246 shares in the company, valued at approximately $157,093.28. This represents a 50.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Navigator

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. 9823 Capital L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Navigator in the 4th quarter worth approximately $183,000. First Dallas Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in Navigator in the 1st quarter worth about $267,000. AXQ Capital LP purchased a new position in Navigator during the 2nd quarter valued at about $268,000. State of Wyoming increased its holdings in shares of Navigator by 242.1% in the 1st quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 14,661 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $283,000 after purchasing an additional 10,376 shares during the period. Finally, BTG Pactual Asset Management US LLC boosted its holdings in shares of 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 worth $350,000 after purchasing an additional 7,890 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 18.95% of the company’s stock.

Navigator Company Profile

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.