Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Shares Up 4.8% – Still a Buy?

Shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) shot up 4.8% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $27.39 and last traded at $27.34. 28,298 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 61% from the average session volume of 72,193 shares. The stock had previously closed at $26.08.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com raised Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a current ratio of 0.96. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $26.47 and a 200-day moving average of $22.61. The firm has a market cap of $632.71 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.65 and a beta of 1.21.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The specialty retailer reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a net margin of 2.54% and a return on equity of 18.89%. The company had revenue of $309.08 million for the quarter. As a group, analysts anticipate that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 18th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.44%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s dividend payout ratio is 31.75%.

Institutional Trading of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of NGVC. American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 28.3% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 304,382 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $6,453,000 after buying an additional 67,187 shares during the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 41.7% in the 1st quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 111,851 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $2,019,000 after acquiring an additional 32,890 shares during the period. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 14.7% during the 1st quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 190,318 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $3,435,000 after purchasing an additional 24,400 shares during the last quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 4th quarter valued at about $349,000. Finally, Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 19.3% in the 1st quarter. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. now owns 105,000 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,895,000 after purchasing an additional 17,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 31.99% of the company’s stock.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Company Profile

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, retails natural and organic groceries, and dietary supplements in the United States. The company's stores offer natural and organic grocery products, such as organic produce; private label repackaged bulk products, including dried fruits, nuts, grains, granolas, teas, herbs, and spices, as well as peanut and almond butters; private label products comprising grocery staples, household products, bulk foods, and vitamins and dietary supplements, as well as organic eggs, organic flavored coffee, and organic mustard; dry, frozen, and canned groceries; meat and seafood products; dairy products, dairy substitutes, and eggs; prepared foods; bread and baked products; beverages; and beer, wine, and hard cider products.