Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Trading Up 5.1% – Here’s Why

Shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) traded up 5.1% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $43.97 and last traded at $44.17. 43,050 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 53% from the average session volume of 91,249 shares. The stock had previously closed at $42.04.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 13th.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Down 1.1 %

The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $41.81 and its 200-day simple moving average is $32.28. The stock has a market cap of $999.98 million, a P/E ratio of 29.47 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a current ratio of 0.90.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 21st. The specialty retailer reported $0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a return on equity of 20.70% and a net margin of 2.73%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 18th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.12 per share. 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 1.10%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 2nd. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s dividend payout ratio is 32.43%.

Insider Activity at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

In related news, insider Lark Isely sold 4,000 shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the insider now directly owns 8,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $387,738.12. The trade was a 31.54 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Charity Isely sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were 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 owns 12,290 shares in the company, valued at $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 Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 33.3% in the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 2,301 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $91,000 after purchasing an additional 575 shares during the period. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 4.6% in the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 15,487 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $615,000 after buying an additional 675 shares during the period. Human Investing LLC bought a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the fourth quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 3.2% in the third quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 36,781 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,092,000 after acquiring an additional 1,150 shares during the period. 31.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

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.