Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) Short Interest Update

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) was the target of a large decline in short interest during the month of September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totalling 127,200 shares, a decline of 31.8% from the September 15th total of 186,600 shares. Approximately 1.8% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 89,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.4 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 9th.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Up 2.8 %

NGVC stock traded up $0.72 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $26.67. 46,183 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 72,463. The company has a market cap of $607.86 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.17 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a current ratio of 0.96. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has a 1-year low of $11.93 and a 1-year high of $30.32. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $26.28 and its 200 day simple moving average is $22.40.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The specialty retailer reported $0.40 EPS for the quarter. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a net margin of 2.54% and a return on equity of 18.89%. The firm had revenue of $309.08 million for the quarter. On average, equities analysts forecast that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage will post 1.31 earnings per share for the current year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 18th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.50%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s dividend payout ratio is presently 31.75%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NGVC. EntryPoint Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the first quarter worth about $36,000. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System purchased a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $216,000. Quadrature Capital Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $349,000. Inspire Investing LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the second quarter worth approximately $353,000. Finally, Ritholtz Wealth Management lifted its holdings in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 21.0% during the second quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 28,655 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $607,000 after purchasing an additional 4,980 shares during the period. 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.