BW LPG (NYSE:BWLP) Reaches New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

BW LPG Limited (NYSE:BWLP)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $17.22 and last traded at $17.2660, with a volume of 3914 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $16.79.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BWLP has been the subject of several analyst reports. Clarkson Capital upgraded shares of BW LPG from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of BW LPG in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

BW LPG Stock Up 4.4%

The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $14.45 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $14.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 1.47 and a quick ratio of 1.24. The company has a market capitalization of $2.36 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.86.

BW LPG (NYSE:BWLP) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, December 2nd. The company reported $0.38 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.57 by ($0.19). BW LPG had a net margin of 4.57% and a return on equity of 8.78%. The company had revenue of $279.98 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $242.92 million.

BW LPG Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th were paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This is a boost from BW LPG’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.9%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 12th. BW LPG’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 141.59%.

Institutional Trading of BW LPG

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its stake in shares of BW LPG by 34.6% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 2,257,314 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,704,000 after acquiring an additional 579,987 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BW LPG during the fourth quarter worth $5,027,000. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ lifted its holdings in shares of BW LPG by 115,776.1% during the fourth quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ now owns 203,942 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,549,000 after purchasing an additional 203,766 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its holdings in shares of BW LPG by 41.4% during the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 560,231 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,613,000 after purchasing an additional 164,057 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC boosted its position in shares of BW LPG by 644.2% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 189,231 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,702,000 after purchasing an additional 163,803 shares during the period.

About BW LPG

BW LPG (NYSE: BWLP) is a pure‐play owner and operator of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers. The company’s core business centers on the maritime transportation of LPG, predominantly propane and butane, under both time‐ and voyage‐charter arrangements. Its fleet comprises pressurized and semi‐refrigerated vessels designed to meet the specific requirements of LPG producers, traders and end‐users around the world.

Headquartered in Singapore, BW LPG serves a global customer base, with commercial offices in key energy hubs including Houston, London, Dubai and Tokyo.