Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Trading Up 2.6% – Time to Buy?

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC)’s share price was up 2.6% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $38.66 and last traded at $39.10. Approximately 31,874 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 68% from the average daily volume of 99,454 shares. The stock had previously closed at $38.12.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of 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 Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.15. The firm has a market cap of $929.74 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.95 and a beta of 1.34. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $42.38 and a 200 day moving average price of $37.41.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The specialty retailer reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a return on equity of 21.12% and a net margin of 2.84%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.12 per share. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.18%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.57%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Human Investing LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the fourth quarter valued at about $40,000. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its stake 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 worth $91,000 after acquiring an additional 575 shares during the period. Finally, Virtus Investment Advisers Inc. purchased a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the third quarter worth about $126,000. 31.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.