Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Hits New 12-Month High – What’s Next?

Shares of Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $19.38 and last traded at $19.3750, with a volume of 80092 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $19.30.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Pareto Securities started coverage on Navigator in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Navigator in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen cut Navigator from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, February 8th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Navigator from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 target price on shares of Navigator in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Navigator currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $21.50.

Navigator Stock Performance

The stock’s 50-day moving average is $18.05 and its 200-day moving average is $16.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The stock has a market cap of $1.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.40.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted 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 in the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. boosted its stake 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 valued at $81,000 after buying an additional 845 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC grew 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 worth $80,000 after buying an additional 1,259 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth increased its stake in shares of Navigator by 3.7% in the third quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 37,394 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $579,000 after buying an additional 1,334 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 1,353 shares in the last quarter. 18.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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).