Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Raised to “Strong-Buy” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report released on Friday.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Down 4.6 %

Shares of NYSE:NGVC traded down $1.13 during trading on Friday, reaching $23.67. 5,789 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 67,499. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $22.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of $19.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has a 1-year low of $11.85 and a 1-year high of $27.60. The firm has a market cap of $539.49 million, a P/E ratio of 19.68 and a beta of 1.21.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 9th. The specialty retailer reported $0.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $308.09 million during the quarter. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a return on equity of 17.60% and a net margin of 2.42%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.29 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage will post 1.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 18th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be paid a $0.10 dividend. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.69%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 3rd. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s payout ratio is presently 31.75%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NGVC. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 178,328 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $3,781,000 after purchasing an additional 937 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its holdings in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 159.8% during the fourth quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,847 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 1,136 shares during the last quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 4.2% in the fourth quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 42,084 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $673,000 after acquiring an additional 1,677 shares during the period. EntryPoint Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the first quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 9.1% during the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 34,475 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $622,000 after acquiring an additional 2,868 shares during the period. 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.