Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. Sells 63,000 Shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC)

Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) by 75.0% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 21,000 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 63,000 shares during the period. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage were worth $834,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its stake in shares of 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 worth $91,000 after purchasing an additional 575 shares during the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Empowered Funds LLC grew 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 worth $615,000 after purchasing an additional 675 shares during the last quarter. Human Investing LLC bought a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the fourth quarter worth $40,000. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew 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 purchasing an additional 1,150 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 31.99% of the company’s stock.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Performance

Shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage stock opened at $47.34 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has a twelve month low of $14.70 and a twelve month high of $50.91. The stock has a market cap of $1.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.15 and a beta of 1.43. The company’s fifty day moving average is $42.68 and its 200 day moving average is $34.67.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The specialty retailer reported $0.43 EPS for the quarter. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a net margin of 2.84% and a return on equity of 21.12%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.61 EPS for the current year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.01%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.57%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

In other news, insider Lark Isely sold 4,000 shares of the company’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 transaction, the insider now owns 8,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $387,738.12. This represents a 31.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Charity Isely sold 2,000 shares of the company’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 transaction, 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. Insiders own 58.80% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com cut shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 13th.

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.