Navios Maritime Partners (NYSE:NMM) Hits New 12-Month High Following Strong Earnings

Navios Maritime Partners LP (NYSE:NMM) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as high as $80.69 and last traded at $80.08, with a volume of 78835 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $75.23.

The shipping company reported $3.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.77 by $0.58. Navios Maritime Partners had a return on equity of 9.17% and a net margin of 21.23%.During the same period last year, the business earned $1.58 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.4% compared to the same quarter last year.

Navios Maritime Partners Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 11th were issued a $0.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. This is a positive change from Navios Maritime Partners’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.05. Navios Maritime Partners’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 2.50%.

Key Navios Maritime Partners News

Here are the key news stories impacting Navios Maritime Partners this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Navios Maritime Partners reported first-quarter EPS of $3.35, topping analyst estimates of $2.77 by $0.58 and more than doubling from $1.58 per share a year ago. Revenue also rose 17.4% year over year, which likely supported investor confidence. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Insider buying continued, with CEO Angeliki Frangou purchasing additional shares on May 18, May 19, and May 20. Repeated insider accumulation can be viewed as a signal of management’s confidence in the stock’s outlook. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.06 per share from $0.05, which can make the stock more attractive to income-focused investors. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Navios Maritime Partners recently traded near its 52-week high, so some of the good news may already be reflected in the share price. Article Title

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on NMM shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Navios Maritime Partners from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, March 21st. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Navios Maritime Partners from a “hold (c)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Navios Maritime Partners in a report on Friday, April 24th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $85.00 price target for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $85.00.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Angeliki Frangou purchased 1,289 shares of Navios Maritime Partners stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 23rd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $64.87 per share, with a total value of $83,617.43. Following the transaction, the insider owned 4,678,741 shares in the company, valued at approximately $303,509,928.67. The trade was a 0.03% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In the last quarter, insiders acquired 43,647 shares of company stock valued at $3,097,899.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in Navios Maritime Partners by 50.9% in the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 599 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. increased its position in shares of Navios Maritime Partners by 5.6% during the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 7,192 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $324,000 after purchasing an additional 380 shares in the last quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Navios Maritime Partners by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 92,682 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $4,175,000 after purchasing an additional 750 shares during the last quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Navios Maritime Partners during the 1st quarter valued at $63,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in shares of Navios Maritime Partners by 25.4% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 7,706 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $290,000 after purchasing an additional 1,559 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.74% of the company’s stock.

Navios Maritime Partners Price Performance

The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $69.21 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $61.12. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The stock has a market cap of $2.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.33 and a beta of 1.06.

Navios Maritime Partners Company Profile

Navios Maritime Partners L.P. (NYSE: NMM) is a dry bulk shipping company that owns and operates a fleet of Capesize, Panamax and Supramax vessels. The partnership charters its vessels under medium- and long-term contracts to a diverse group of charterers, providing seaborne transportation for major bulk cargoes such as iron ore, coal, grain and fertilizers. Through this asset-light model, Navios Maritime Partners seeks to generate stable cash flows while retaining flexibility to capitalize on market opportunities.

Formed in November 2007 and sponsored by Navios Maritime Holdings Inc, the partnership leverages the operating platform and commercial management capabilities of the Navios group.