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

Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) saw a large decline in short interest during the month of 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 stock are sold short.

Navigator Stock Down 2.3 %

NVGS traded down $0.40 on Friday, reaching $16.65. 1,076,117 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 161,339. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $15.87 and its 200-day moving average price is $15.99. Navigator has a 52-week low of $14.55 and a 52-week high of $18.18. The company has a market cap of $1.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.73 and a beta of 1.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.71.

Navigator Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 25th were paid a $0.05 dividend. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.20%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 25th. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 17.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Alliance Global Partners assumed coverage on shares of Navigator in a research note on Monday, October 28th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $24.00 price objective on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Navigator from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $20.00 target price on shares of Navigator in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.60.

Institutional Trading of Navigator

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NVGS. Sei Investments Co. lifted its stake in Navigator by 108.6% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 70,256 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $1,227,000 after acquiring an additional 36,571 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its stake in shares of Navigator by 361.3% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 207,039 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $3,615,000 after buying an additional 162,160 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Navigator by 14.4% in the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 661,288 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $11,546,000 after buying an additional 83,344 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of Navigator in the second quarter worth $48,000. Finally, Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Navigator in the second quarter worth $38,000. 18.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.