StockNews.com Downgrades Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) to Hold

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) was downgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Tuesday.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 price objective on shares of Navigator in a report on Thursday, August 15th. DNB Markets began coverage on Navigator in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $22.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Navigator in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $22.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Clarkson Capital raised shares of Navigator from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Navigator currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $21.00.

Navigator Stock Up 0.6 %

Shares of NVGS opened at $16.03 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $16.18 and a 200-day moving average price of $16.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.70 and a beta of 1.50. Navigator has a 12-month low of $13.68 and a 12-month high of $18.18.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 14th. The shipping company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $129.55 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $117.92 million. Navigator had a net margin of 14.76% and a return on equity of 7.35%. Equities research analysts expect that Navigator will post 1.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Navigator

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Navigator by 32.8% during the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,442,150 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $25,146,000 after buying an additional 356,134 shares during the last quarter. Encompass Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Navigator in the second quarter valued at approximately $23,571,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its holdings in Navigator by 15.8% in the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 787,700 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $13,753,000 after purchasing an additional 107,300 shares during the last quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. grew its holdings in Navigator by 17.9% in the first quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 673,500 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $10,338,000 after purchasing an additional 102,224 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC increased its position in shares of Navigator by 14.4% during the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 661,288 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $11,546,000 after purchasing an additional 83,344 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 18.95% of the company’s stock.

Navigator Company Profile

Navigator Holdings Ltd. engages in owning and operating a fleet of liquefied gas carriers worldwide. It provides international and regional seaborne transportation services of petrochemical gases, liquefied petroleum gases, and ammonia for energy companies, industrial users, and commodity traders. The company also offers ship shore infrastructure and consultancy services.