Navient (NASDAQ:NAVI) Sets New 1-Year Low – What’s Next?

Navient Co. (NASDAQ:NAVI)’s share price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $12.68 and last traded at $12.74, with a volume of 171907 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $13.20.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on NAVI. StockNews.com cut Navient from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Bank of America cut their price target on Navient from $17.00 to $16.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Navient from $15.00 to $13.50 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of Navient from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Navient currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $13.90.

Navient Trading Down 2.9 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.31 billion, a PE ratio of 11.05 and a beta of 1.36. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $13.78 and a 200 day moving average of $14.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.35, a quick ratio of 9.49 and a current ratio of 9.48.

Navient (NASDAQ:NAVI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The credit services provider reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.26 by ($0.01). Navient had a return on equity of 6.69% and a net margin of 2.96%. Equities research analysts expect that Navient Co. will post 1.04 EPS for the current year.

Navient Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 7th were paid a dividend of $0.16 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 7th. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.99%. Navient’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 55.17%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Navient

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Natixis Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Navient by 13.7% in the third quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 18,192 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $284,000 after buying an additional 2,194 shares during the last quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Navient in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $714,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Navient by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,092,270 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $17,028,000 after acquiring an additional 19,606 shares during the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Navient by 82.7% in the 3rd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 38,323 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $597,000 after purchasing an additional 17,349 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund bought a new stake in Navient in the third quarter valued at $511,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.14% of the company’s stock.

Navient Company Profile

Navient Corporation provides technology-enabled education finance and business processing solutions for education, health care, and government clients in the United States. It operates through three segments: Federal Education Loans, Consumer Lending, and Business Processing. The company owns Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) loans that are insured or guaranteed by state or not-for-profit agencies; and performs servicing on its portfolios, as well as federal education loans held by other institutions.