BW LPG (NYSE:BWLP) Hits New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

BW LPG Limited (NYSE:BWLP) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $16.68 and last traded at $16.63, with a volume of 212928 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $15.75.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BWLP has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Clarkson Capital raised shares of BW LPG from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of BW LPG in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

BW LPG Trading Up 4.8%

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 stock has a market cap of $2.17 billion and a P/E ratio of 14.60. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $13.55 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $13.87.

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

BW LPG Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 12th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 9.7%. This is an increase from BW LPG’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. BW LPG’s payout ratio is 141.59%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BW LPG

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of BW LPG in the 4th quarter worth approximately $43,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp lifted its stake in BW LPG by 8.4% in the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 24,030 shares of the company’s stock worth $314,000 after acquiring an additional 1,855 shares during the period. Glenorchy Capital Ltd boosted its holdings in BW LPG by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Glenorchy Capital Ltd now owns 49,850 shares of the company’s stock valued at $653,000 after acquiring an additional 722 shares in the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA increased its position in BW LPG by 10.6% during the 4th quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 18,312 shares of the company’s stock valued at $240,000 after purchasing an additional 1,758 shares during the period. Finally, UBS Group AG raised its holdings in BW LPG by 14.9% in the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 299,497 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,923,000 after purchasing an additional 38,850 shares in the last quarter.

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.