Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) Short Interest Up 53.0% in November

Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 221,300 shares, a growth of 53.0% from the October 31st total of 144,600 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 193,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.1 days. Currently, 0.7% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Navigator Stock Performance

Shares of NVGS stock traded down $0.06 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $15.66. The stock had a trading volume of 85,355 shares, compared to its average volume of 199,797. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $16.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $16.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.71. The firm has a market cap of $1.15 billion, a PE ratio of 13.91 and a beta of 1.50. Navigator has a fifty-two week low of $13.85 and a fifty-two week high of $18.18.

Navigator Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 25th will be issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 25th. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.28%. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 17.70%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently commented on NVGS. Alliance Global Partners began coverage on shares of Navigator in a research report on Monday, October 28th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $24.00 target price on the stock. DNB Markets assumed coverage on shares of Navigator in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. They set a “buy” rating and a $22.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Navigator from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Clarkson Capital upgraded shares of Navigator from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 price target on shares of Navigator in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Navigator currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $21.60.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Navigator

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NVGS. Tidal Investments LLC grew its holdings in shares of Navigator by 18.4% during the first quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 34,013 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $522,000 after buying an additional 5,285 shares in the last quarter. Perkins Coie Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Navigator in the second quarter worth approximately $105,000. Hodges Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Navigator by 4.0% in the second quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. now owns 543,273 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $9,486,000 after acquiring an additional 20,738 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Navigator by 32.8% in the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,442,150 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $25,146,000 after acquiring an additional 356,134 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D boosted its position in shares of Navigator by 28.4% in the second quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 37,515 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $655,000 after acquiring an additional 8,309 shares during the last quarter. 18.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Navigator Company Profile

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.