Owner and operator of the world’s largest fleet of LNG tankers, Navigator Holdings Ltd. (Navigator) has raised $228 million after its initial public offering of 12,000,000 shares of its common stock priced at $19 per share.

The offering was announced yesterday and Navigator expected to receive net proceeds of approximately $156.4 million from the offering.

The company intends to use such proceeds to fund, with approximately $72.7 million, its purchase obligations for newbuilding vessels to be delivered in 2015. The remainder of the funds will be used for general corporate purposes, including if Navigator decides to exercise its option to purchase an additional newbuilding vessel.

This would entail financing $17.6 million of the approximately $44.0 million required to purchase the option vessel.

Navigator is offering 9,030,000 shares and certain selling shareholders are offering 2,970,000 shares of common stock. The shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange today (November 21, 2013) under the ticker symbol “NVGS.”

The selling shareholders named in the registration statement have granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,800,000 shares of common stock.

The offering is expected to close on November 26, 2013, subject to customary closing conditions.

Press Release, November 21, 2013