Barclays PLC Increases Position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC)

Barclays PLC increased its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) by 285.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,420 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 9,196 shares during the quarter. Barclays PLC owned 0.05% of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage worth $368,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in NGVC. Virtus Investment Advisers Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 3rd quarter valued at about $126,000. CreativeOne Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the third quarter worth about $202,000. Hancock Whitney Corp acquired a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the third quarter worth about $214,000. Privium Fund Management B.V. acquired a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the third quarter worth about $326,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC acquired a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the second quarter worth about $353,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 31.99% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

In other news, insider Charity Isely sold 2,000 shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage 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 completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 12,290 shares in the company, valued at $537,441.70. The trade was a 14.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, 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 transaction of $178,640.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 8,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $387,738.12. This trade represents a 31.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 59.40% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Performance

Shares of NGVC opened at $41.45 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The stock has a market cap of $949.45 million, a P/E ratio of 28.01 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a 50-day moving average of $38.32 and a two-hundred day moving average of $29.82. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has a 12-month low of $14.31 and a 12-month high of $47.56.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 18th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 2nd were given a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 2nd. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.16%. This is a boost from Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s payout ratio is presently 32.43%.

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.