Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) Shares Bought by State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D

State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D increased its stake in Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS) by 14.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 43,107 shares of the shipping company’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,592 shares during the period. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D owned approximately 0.06% of Navigator worth $693,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of NVGS. Encompass Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Navigator in the 2nd quarter valued at $23,571,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Navigator by 32.8% in the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,442,150 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $25,146,000 after acquiring an additional 356,134 shares during the last quarter. Graham Capital Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Navigator during the third quarter valued at about $3,444,000. Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in Navigator by 361.3% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 207,039 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $3,615,000 after acquiring an additional 162,160 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its stake in Navigator by 15.8% during the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 787,700 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $13,753,000 after acquiring an additional 107,300 shares during the last quarter. 18.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Navigator Stock Performance

Navigator stock opened at $16.19 on Tuesday. 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’s fifty day moving average price is $15.96 and its 200 day moving average price is $16.36. The company has a market capitalization of $1.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.27 and a beta of 1.50. Navigator Holdings Ltd. has a 12-month low of $13.85 and a 12-month high of $18.18.

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 17th. Investors of record on Monday, November 25th will be paid a $0.05 dividend. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.24%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 25th. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 17.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on NVGS. Clarkson Capital upgraded Navigator from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Navigator in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. They set a “buy” rating and a $22.00 price objective for the company. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 target price on shares of Navigator in a report on Thursday, November 7th. DNB Markets began coverage on Navigator in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $22.00 price target for the company. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Navigator from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $21.60.

Navigator 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.