Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) Shares Acquired by Lord Abbett & CO. LLC

Lord Abbett & CO. LLC grew its position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) by 64.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 449,007 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 176,361 shares during the period. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC’s holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage were worth $13,331,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 28.3% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 304,382 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $6,453,000 after purchasing an additional 67,187 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 11.4% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 219,301 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $6,513,000 after purchasing an additional 22,413 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 1.0% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 193,350 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $5,741,000 after purchasing an additional 1,983 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 0.5% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 178,328 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $3,781,000 after purchasing an additional 937 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Panagora Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 14.4% in the second quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 57,533 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,220,000 after buying an additional 7,254 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 31.99% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage news, insider Charity Isely sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.73, for a total transaction of $87,460.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 12,290 shares in the company, valued at approximately $537,441.70. The trade was a 14.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Lark Isely sold 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 8,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $387,738.12. This represents a 31.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 59.40% of the company’s stock.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE NGVC opened at $42.00 on Monday. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has a 52-week low of $14.31 and a 52-week high of $47.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $957.18 million, a P/E ratio of 28.38 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $34.33 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $27.89.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 18th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 2nd. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.14%. This is a positive change from Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s dividend payout ratio is currently 32.43%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd.

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.