Navigator’s (NVGS) Buy Rating Reiterated at Jefferies Financial Group

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reissued by investment analysts at Jefferies Financial Group in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $20.00 target price on the shipping company’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 44.09% from the company’s current price.

Navigator Price Performance

NYSE NVGS traded up $0.09 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $13.88. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 213,709 shares, compared to its average volume of 210,899. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.75. The stock has a market cap of $1.02 billion, a PE ratio of 12.28 and a beta of 1.39. The company’s 50-day moving average is $16.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $15.91. Navigator has a fifty-two week low of $13.55 and a fifty-two week high of $18.18.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 12th. The shipping company reported $0.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.01. Navigator had a return on equity of 7.40% and a net margin of 14.48%. Analysts forecast that Navigator will post 1.25 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in NVGS. Wexford Capital LP raised its stake in shares of Navigator by 36.5% in the 4th quarter. Wexford Capital LP now owns 85,425 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $1,311,000 after purchasing an additional 22,857 shares in the last quarter. State of Wyoming lifted its stake in Navigator by 22.4% in the fourth quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 34,143 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $524,000 after buying an additional 6,244 shares during the last quarter. Man Group plc grew its position in shares of Navigator by 159.9% during the fourth quarter. Man Group plc now owns 203,441 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $3,123,000 after acquiring an additional 125,178 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth acquired a new stake in shares of Navigator in the 4th quarter worth about $554,000. Finally, First Manhattan CO. LLC. lifted its position in Navigator by 25.1% in the 4th quarter. First Manhattan CO. LLC. now owns 1,034,596 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $15,881,000 after purchasing an additional 207,851 shares during the last quarter. 18.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.