Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Trading Down 5.3% – Should You Sell?

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC)’s share price was down 5.3% during trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $47.04 and last traded at $46.92. Approximately 81,783 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 37% from the average daily volume of 130,601 shares. The stock had previously closed at $49.54.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com lowered 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 Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $1.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.14 and a beta of 1.43. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $41.97 and a 200 day simple moving average of $33.66. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The specialty retailer reported $0.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a return on equity of 21.58% and a net margin of 2.84%. On average, analysts expect that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.12 per share. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.98%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.57%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

In related news, insider Lark Isely sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the insider now owns 8,682 shares in the company, 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 filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Charity Isely sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the insider now owns 12,290 shares in the company, valued at approximately $537,441.70. The trade was a 14.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 58.80% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Human Investing LLC bought a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the 4th quarter valued at $40,000. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 33.3% during the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 2,301 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $91,000 after purchasing an additional 575 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Virtus Investment Advisers Inc. bought a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 3rd quarter worth about $126,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.