Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Reaches New 1-Year High – Still a Buy?

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $47.89 and last traded at $47.48, with a volume of 59230 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $46.43.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded 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 Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.16. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $41.70 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $32.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.62 and a beta of 1.43.

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 for the quarter. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a return on equity of 20.70% and a net margin of 2.73%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.56 earnings per share for the current year.

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 given a $0.12 dividend. This is a positive change from Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 2nd. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.99%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 32.43%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Charity Isely sold 2,000 shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the insider now owns 12,290 shares in the company, valued at $537,441.70. This trade represents a 14.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Lark Isely sold 4,000 shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.66, for a total value of $178,640.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 8,682 shares in the company, valued at $387,738.12. The trade was a 31.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 58.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Human Investing LLC acquired a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the fourth quarter valued at about $40,000. Nkcfo LLC acquired a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $397,000. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 33.3% in the 4th 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. Empowered Funds LLC raised its holdings in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 15,487 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $615,000 after buying an additional 675 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. 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.