Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Trading 9.1% Higher – Time to Buy?

Shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) were up 9.1% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $45.78 and last traded at $45.95. Approximately 141,738 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 2% from the average daily volume of 143,972 shares. The stock had previously closed at $42.13.

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 Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The company has a market cap of $1.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.48 and a beta of 1.43. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $42.72 and its 200 day simple moving average is $35.20.

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 for the quarter. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a return on equity of 21.12% and a net margin of 2.84%. Sell-side analysts predict that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.04%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s payout ratio is 30.57%.

Insider Activity

In related news, 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 sale, the insider now directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Charity Isely sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was 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 approximately $537,441.70. The trade was 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 Investors Weigh In On Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC raised its holdings in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 64.7% in the third quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 449,007 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $13,331,000 after buying an additional 176,361 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP raised its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 516.0% during the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 209,564 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $8,324,000 after buying an additional 175,545 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 1,190.6% during the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 162,130 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $6,440,000 after acquiring an additional 149,568 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP purchased a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,444,000. Finally, Tudor Investment Corp ET AL boosted its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 210.3% during the fourth quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 80,822 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $3,210,000 after buying an additional 54,773 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 31.99% of the company’s stock.

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.