Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Stock Price Down 7.5% – What’s Next?

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC)’s share price traded down 7.5% during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $44.43 and last traded at $43.87. 43,287 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 69% from the average session volume of 139,607 shares. The stock had previously closed at $47.43.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com cut shares of 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 Stock Down 7.7 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.15 and a current ratio of 0.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.80 and a beta of 1.43. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $42.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $34.67.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last issued its 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.61 EPS for the current fiscal 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 $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.10%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.57%.

Insider Activity at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

In related news, insider Charity Isely sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.73, for a total value of $87,460.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 12,290 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $537,441.70. This represents a 14.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 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 transaction of $178,640.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 8,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $387,738.12. The trade was a 31.54 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 58.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 5,366 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $213,000 after purchasing an additional 228 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted 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 in the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 4.6% during the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 15,487 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $615,000 after purchasing an additional 675 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. 31.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

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.