Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Trading 5.1% Higher – Still a Buy?

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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 Trading Down 1.1 %

The business’s fifty day moving average is $41.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $32.28. The company has a quick ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The firm has a market cap of $999.98 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.47 and a beta of 1.44.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last issued its 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%. Equities analysts anticipate 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 firm also recently disclosed 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 represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.10%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 2nd. This is a boost from Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s payout ratio is 32.43%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Lark Isely sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 3rd. The stock was 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 directly 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Charity Isely sold 2,000 shares of the business’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 value 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. The trade was a 14.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 59.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of NGVC. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Human Investing LLC acquired a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the fourth quarter worth approximately $40,000. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its stake 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 buying an additional 575 shares during the period. Virtus Investment Advisers Inc. bought a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the third quarter valued at approximately $126,000. Finally, CreativeOne Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the third quarter valued at approximately $202,000. 31.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.