Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume - Time to Buy?

Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) shares saw strong trading volume on Monday . 272,662 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 31% from the previous session's volume of 207,922 shares.The stock last traded at $11.68 and had previously closed at $10.92.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $20.00 price objective on shares of Navigator in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $21.60.

Navigator Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $864.70 million, a PE ratio of 11.03 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $14.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $15.40.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 12th. The shipping company reported $0.38 EPS for the quarter, topping 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%. The company had revenue of $144.03 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $120.87 million. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.25 EPS for the current year.

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Navigator Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 24th were issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 24th. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.61%. Navigator's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 16.67%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of NVGS. Wexford Capital LP raised its holdings in shares of Navigator by 36.5% in the fourth quarter. Wexford Capital LP now owns 85,425 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $1,311,000 after acquiring an additional 22,857 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming increased its position in Navigator by 22.4% during the 4th quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 34,143 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $524,000 after purchasing an additional 6,244 shares in the last quarter. Man Group plc raised its stake in Navigator by 159.9% in the 4th quarter. Man Group plc now owns 203,441 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $3,123,000 after purchasing an additional 125,178 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth purchased a new position in Navigator in the 4th quarter valued at about $554,000. Finally, First Manhattan CO. LLC. boosted its stake in shares of Navigator by 25.1% during the 4th quarter. First Manhattan CO. LLC. now owns 1,034,596 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $15,881,000 after purchasing an additional 207,851 shares during the last quarter. 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.