Navient (NASDAQ:NAVI) Sets New 52-Week Low - Here's Why

Navient Co. (NASDAQ:NAVI - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week low on Friday . The stock traded as low as $12.68 and last traded at $12.74, with a volume of 171907 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $13.20.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com downgraded Navient from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of Navient from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on shares of Navient from $16.00 to $14.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Navient from $15.00 to $13.50 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their target price on Navient from $17.00 to $16.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $13.50.

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Navient Trading Down 1.5 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.35, a current ratio of 9.48 and a quick ratio of 9.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.29 billion, a PE ratio of 10.89 and a beta of 1.36. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $13.73 and its 200 day moving average price is $14.42.

Navient (NASDAQ:NAVI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The credit services provider reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.26 by ($0.01). Navient had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 6.69%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Navient Co. will post 1.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Navient Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 7th were given a dividend of $0.16 per share. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.07%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 7th. Navient's dividend payout ratio is presently 55.17%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Navient

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Navient by 815.0% in the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 2,443 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 2,176 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Navient in the fourth quarter worth about $167,000. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in shares of Navient by 16.3% during the fourth quarter. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP now owns 12,877 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $171,000 after purchasing an additional 1,804 shares during the period. Twinbeech Capital LP purchased a new stake in Navient in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $173,000. Finally, Paloma Partners Management Co acquired a new position in Navient in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $174,000. 97.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Navient

Navient Corporation provides technology-enabled education finance and business processing solutions for education, health care, and government clients in the United States. It operates through three segments: Federal Education Loans, Consumer Lending, and Business Processing. The company owns Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) loans that are insured or guaranteed by state or not-for-profit agencies; and performs servicing on its portfolios, as well as federal education loans held by other institutions.