BW LPG (NYSE:BWLP) Reaches New 1-Year High – Still a Buy?

BW LPG Limited (NYSE:BWLP)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $25.70 and last traded at $25.6450, with a volume of 119685 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $25.11.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Pareto Securities raised BW LPG from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Clarkson Capital upgraded shares of BW LPG from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of BW LPG from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of BW LPG from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, BW LPG presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

BW LPG Stock Performance

The business has a fifty day moving average price of $22.72 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $20.12. The company has a current ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.91 billion, a PE ratio of 8.78 and a beta of 0.99.

BW LPG (NYSE:BWLP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Saturday, August 29th. The company reported $0.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.17 by ($0.38). The company had revenue of $1.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $318.01 million. BW LPG had a net margin of 12.64% and a return on equity of 22.48%.

BW LPG Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 8th were paid a $8.8914 dividend. This is a positive change from BW LPG’s previous quarterly dividend of $6.20. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 8th. This represents a $35.57 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 137.7%. BW LPG’s payout ratio is presently 129.25%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BW LPG

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Engineers Gate Manager LP purchased a new stake in BW LPG in the second quarter valued at approximately $448,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC boosted its position in shares of BW LPG by 75.6% during the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 18,469 shares of the company’s stock worth $322,000 after buying an additional 7,950 shares during the period. Amundi boosted its position in shares of BW LPG by 52.9% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 17,080 shares of the company’s stock worth $298,000 after buying an additional 5,909 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of BW LPG in the second quarter valued at $3,626,000. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LP acquired a new stake in shares of BW LPG in the second quarter valued at $335,000.

About BW LPG

BW LPG Limited (NYSE: BWLP) is a Singapore-based maritime company that owns and operates very large gas carriers (VLGCs) used to transport liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), primarily propane and butane. The company provides seaborne transportation services to energy producers, commodity traders, and other customers involved in the global LPG supply chain.

BW LPG’s activities include vessel ownership, ship management, commercial operation, and fleet optimization. Its ships transport LPG on international trade routes connecting major exporting regions, including the Middle East and the United States, with import markets in Asia, Europe, and other parts of the world.