Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Stock Price Down 4.1% – Should You Sell?

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC)’s share price traded down 4.1% on Monday . The stock traded as low as $39.64 and last traded at $39.77. 23,125 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 64% from the average session volume of 63,628 shares. The stock had previously closed at $41.45.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com raised Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $916.47 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.03 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The company’s 50-day moving average is $38.85 and its 200-day moving average is $30.16.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 18th. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 2nd. This is a positive change from Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.20%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s payout ratio is 32.43%.

Insider Activity at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

In other news, insider Lark Isely sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.66, for a total transaction of $178,640.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 8,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $387,738.12. This trade represents a 31.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Charity Isely sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.73, for a total transaction of $87,460.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 12,290 shares in the company, valued at approximately $537,441.70. This represents a 14.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 59.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NGVC. Virtus Investment Advisers Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the third quarter worth approximately $126,000. CreativeOne Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the third quarter valued at $202,000. Hancock Whitney Corp acquired a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the third quarter valued at about $214,000. Privium Fund Management B.V. bought a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the third quarter worth about $326,000. Finally, Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC bought a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the third quarter worth about $361,000. 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.