Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Shares Down 5.3% – Here’s Why

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) was down 5.3% on Monday . The company traded as low as $47.04 and last traded at $46.92. Approximately 81,783 shares changed 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.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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 quick ratio of 0.16 and a current ratio of 0.90. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $41.97 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $33.66. The company has a market cap of $1.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.14 and a beta of 1.43.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last posted 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 net margin of 2.84% and a return on equity of 21.58%. On average, sell-side 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 Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

In other Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage news, insider Lark Isely sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 3rd. The stock was 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 $387,738.12. This trade represents a 31.54 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, 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 completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 12,290 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $537,441.70. This represents a 14.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 58.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC raised its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 64.7% in the 3rd quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 449,007 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $13,331,000 after buying an additional 176,361 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP bought a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the fourth quarter valued at $5,444,000. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 13.2% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 444,596 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $17,659,000 after purchasing an additional 51,727 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 6.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 689,291 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $27,379,000 after purchasing an additional 38,880 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 11.4% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 219,301 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $6,513,000 after purchasing an additional 22,413 shares during the last quarter. 31.99% of the stock is currently 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.