1492 Capital Management LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS)

1492 Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) by 108.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 26,752 shares of the shipping company’s stock after buying an additional 13,890 shares during the period. 1492 Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Navigator were worth $411,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. acquired a new stake in Navigator during the third quarter worth about $907,000. Hodges Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Navigator by 24.8% during the 4th quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. now owns 686,148 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $10,532,000 after purchasing an additional 136,160 shares during the period. Barclays PLC increased its position in Navigator by 10.7% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 19,640 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $316,000 after purchasing an additional 1,895 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. raised its holdings in Navigator by 30.8% in the fourth quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 117,108 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $1,798,000 after buying an additional 27,584 shares during the period. Finally, Harvey Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Navigator during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,504,000. 18.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Navigator Trading Up 2.6 %

NVGS opened at $12.66 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $878.58 million, a P/E ratio of 11.20 and a beta of 1.07. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $14.01 and its 200-day moving average is $15.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. Navigator Holdings Ltd. has a 52-week low of $10.55 and a 52-week high of $18.18.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 12th. The shipping company reported $0.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $144.03 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $120.87 million. Navigator had a net margin of 14.48% and a return on equity of 7.40%. Analysts expect that Navigator Holdings Ltd. will post 1.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Navigator Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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 1.58%. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio is presently 16.67%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $20.00 target price on shares of Navigator in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $21.60.

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.