StockNews.com Upgrades Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) to Buy

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) was upgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Sunday.

A number of other analysts have also weighed in on NVGS. Citigroup assumed coverage on Navigator in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. They set a “buy” rating and a $22.00 price objective for the company. Clarkson Capital raised Navigator from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. DNB Markets assumed coverage on Navigator in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. They set a “buy” rating and a $22.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 price objective on shares of Navigator in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $21.00.

Navigator Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE NVGS opened at $16.79 on Friday. Navigator has a one year low of $13.72 and a one year high of $18.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $16.06 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $16.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.35 and a beta of 1.49.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 14th. The shipping company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.02. Navigator had a net margin of 14.76% and a return on equity of 7.35%. The business had revenue of $129.55 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $117.92 million. As a group, analysts expect that Navigator will post 1.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Navigator

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its stake in Navigator by 9.1% in the third 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 during the period. Ghisallo Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Navigator during the second quarter valued at $1,746,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new position in Navigator during the second quarter valued at $38,000. Quarry LP purchased a new position in Navigator during the second quarter valued at $48,000. Finally, Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in Navigator by 14.4% during the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 661,288 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $11,546,000 after buying an additional 83,344 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 18.95% of the company’s stock.

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.