Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Sees Large Volume Increase – Should You Buy?

Shares of Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) saw strong trading volume on Friday . 1,171,613 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 280% from the previous session’s volume of 307,987 shares.The stock last traded at $18.03 and had previously closed at $19.17.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NVGS has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen lowered Navigator from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, March 15th. Zacks Research cut shares of Navigator from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Navigator in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Pareto Securities began coverage on shares of Navigator in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $21.50.

Navigator Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $1.20 billion, a PE ratio of 12.38, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $19.09 and its 200 day moving average is $17.53.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 11th. The shipping company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.39 by ($0.07). Navigator had a return on equity of 6.35% and a net margin of 17.06%.The firm had revenue of $152.83 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $136.15 million. As a group, equities analysts predict that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.07 per share. 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 (DPR) is 18.92%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in shares of Navigator by 30.4% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,680 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 625 shares during the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Navigator by 21.9% during the 4th quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 4,696 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $81,000 after purchasing an additional 845 shares during the period. CWM LLC raised its position in shares of Navigator by 37.4% during the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 4,627 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $80,000 after buying an additional 1,259 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth raised its position in shares of Navigator by 3.7% during the third quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 37,394 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $579,000 after buying an additional 1,334 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Navigator by 8.0% in the third quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC now owns 18,194 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $282,000 after buying an additional 1,353 shares during the period. 18.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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).