Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Sets New 52-Week High – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $47.89 and last traded at $47.48, with a volume of 59230 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $46.43.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com lowered Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 13th.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Trading Down 1.2 %

The firm has a fifty day moving average of $41.83 and a 200-day moving average of $33.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a current ratio of 0.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.53 and a beta of 1.43.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last released 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 net margin of 2.73% and a return on equity of 20.70%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.97%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s payout ratio is 32.43%.

Insider Transactions at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

In related news, insider Lark Isely sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.66, for a total value of $178,640.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 8,682 shares in the company, valued at $387,738.12. This represents a 31.54 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Charity Isely sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.73, for a total transaction of $87,460.00. Following the completion of 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 ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 58.80% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of NGVC. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 27,363 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,087,000 after acquiring an additional 974 shares in the last quarter. Human Investing LLC purchased a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the fourth quarter valued at about $40,000. Nkcfo LLC acquired a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the fourth quarter worth about $397,000. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its holdings in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 33.3% during the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 2,301 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $91,000 after acquiring an additional 575 shares during the period. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 15,487 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $615,000 after acquiring an additional 675 shares in the last quarter. 31.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.