BW LPG Limited (NYSE:BWLP) Stock Rated “Moderate Buy” by Sell-Side Brokerages

BW LPG Limited (NYSE:BWLP) has earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the five research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company.

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of BW LPG from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of BW LPG from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Clarkson Capital upgraded shares of BW LPG from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, Pareto Securities raised shares of BW LPG from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, September 10th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BW LPG

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in BWLP. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its stake in shares of BW LPG by 15.7% in the 1st quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 21,183 shares of the company’s stock valued at $372,000 after purchasing an additional 2,871 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Holdings LLC purchased a new position in BW LPG in the 2nd quarter worth $52,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC purchased a new position in BW LPG in the 2nd quarter worth $57,000. Blue Trust Inc. purchased a new position in BW LPG in the 1st quarter worth $65,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in BW LPG in the second quarter worth $81,000.

BW LPG Stock Up 1.7%

BWLP stock opened at $26.02 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.94 billion, a PE ratio of 8.85 and a beta of 0.97. BW LPG has a twelve month low of $11.72 and a twelve month high of $26.71. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $24.84 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $20.04.

BW LPG (NYSE:BWLP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Saturday, August 29th. The company reported $0.79 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.17 by ($0.38). BW LPG had a net margin of 12.64% and a return on equity of 22.48%. The company had revenue of $1.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $318.01 million.

BW LPG Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 8th were issued a NOK 8.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 8th. This is an increase from BW LPG’s previous quarterly dividend of NOK 6.20. This represents a $35.57 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 136.7%. BW LPG’s payout ratio is currently 129.25%.

BW LPG Company Profile

BW LPG Limited (NYSE:BWLP) is a Singapore-based maritime transportation company focused on the seaborne transportation of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The company owns and operates a fleet of very large gas carriers (VLGCs), which transport propane, butane and other LPG products between major production and consumption markets.

In addition to vessel ownership and operation, BW LPG provides commercial, technical and fleet-management services. The company has invested in LPG dual-fuel propulsion, allowing certain vessels to use LPG as a marine fuel, and participates in related LPG infrastructure and distribution activities through its businesses and affiliates.

BW LPG is part of BW Group, a global maritime organization with activities spanning gas shipping, offshore energy and related services.