Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) Short Interest Update

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 277,100 shares, a growth of 52.2% from the January 31st total of 182,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 141,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.0 days. Approximately 3.8% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Insider Activity at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

In related news, 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 sale, the insider now directly owns 8,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $387,738.12. This represents a 31.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Charity Isely sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.73, for a total transaction of $87,460.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 12,290 shares in the company, valued at $537,441.70. This trade represents a 14.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 58.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of NGVC. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 5,366 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $213,000 after purchasing an additional 228 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 33.3% during the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 2,301 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $91,000 after buying an additional 575 shares during the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 4.6% in the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 15,487 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $615,000 after buying an additional 675 shares during the period. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Institutional investors own 31.99% of the company’s stock.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NGVC opened at $44.54 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The company has a market capitalization of $1.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.37 and a beta of 1.43. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has a twelve month low of $15.82 and a twelve month high of $50.91. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $43.10 and a 200-day simple moving average of $35.58.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last released its 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 2.84% and a return on equity of 21.12%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage will post 1.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.08%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.57%.

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.