Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) Stock Position Increased by Van ECK Associates Corp

Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) by 33.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,301 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after buying an additional 575 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp’s holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage were worth $91,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Virtus Investment Advisers Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the third quarter worth $126,000. CreativeOne Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the third quarter worth $202,000. Hancock Whitney Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the third quarter worth $214,000. Finally, PFG Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the fourth quarter worth $224,000. Institutional investors own 31.99% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

In related news, insider Charity Isely sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the insider now directly owns 12,290 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $537,441.70. The trade was a 14.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Lark Isely sold 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.66, for a total value of $178,640.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 8,682 shares in the company, valued at $387,738.12. The trade was a 31.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 58.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Down 9.9 %

Shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage stock opened at $42.75 on Monday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $42.70 and its 200-day moving average is $34.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $980.19 million, a PE ratio of 27.23 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has a 12-month low of $14.70 and a 12-month high of $50.91.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The specialty retailer reported $0.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a return on equity of 21.12% and a net margin of 2.84%. Equities analysts anticipate that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.12 per share. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.12%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s payout ratio is 30.57%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

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.