Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Shares Down 7.5% – Time to Sell?

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) traded down 7.5% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $44.43 and last traded at $43.87. 43,287 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 69% from the average session volume of 139,607 shares. The stock had previously closed at $47.43.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.15 and a current ratio of 0.96. The company has a market cap of $980.14 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.23 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a fifty day moving average of $42.70 and a two-hundred day moving average of $34.88.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The specialty retailer reported $0.43 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 research analysts anticipate that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.61 EPS for the current year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Announces Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

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 stock was sold at an average price of $43.73, for a total value of $87,460.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 12,290 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $537,441.70. This trade represents a 14.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 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 value of $178,640.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly 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. Company insiders own 58.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Mackenzie Financial Corp bought a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 4th quarter worth about $519,000. Two Sigma Investments LP raised its position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 30.9% in the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 56,193 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $2,232,000 after acquiring an additional 13,255 shares in the last quarter. Nia Impact Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 177.9% in the 4th quarter. Nia Impact Advisors LLC now owns 75,829 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $3,012,000 after acquiring an additional 48,539 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 1,190.6% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 162,130 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $6,440,000 after acquiring an additional 149,568 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 5,366 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $213,000 after buying an additional 228 shares in the last quarter. 31.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.