Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) Short Interest Down 23.5% in January

Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totalling 149,800 shares, a decline of 23.5% from the December 31st total of 195,700 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 175,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.9 days. Approximately 0.5% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Navigator

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NVGS. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in Navigator in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in Navigator in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in Navigator in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Millburn Ridgefield Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Navigator during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $92,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in shares of Navigator by 9.1% during the 3rd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 8,221 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $132,000 after acquiring an additional 684 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 18.95% of the company’s stock.

Navigator Stock Performance

Shares of NVGS stock opened at $17.03 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.25 billion, a PE ratio of 15.07 and a beta of 1.46. Navigator has a 52-week low of $14.55 and a 52-week high of $18.18. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $15.84 and its 200 day moving average price is $16.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

Navigator Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 17th. Investors of record on Monday, November 25th were given a $0.05 dividend. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 25th. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 17.70%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. StockNews.com upgraded Navigator from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 target price on shares of Navigator in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Alliance Global Partners began coverage on Navigator in a research report on Monday, October 28th. They set a “buy” rating and a $24.00 target price on the stock. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Navigator presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $21.60.

About Navigator

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.