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

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC)’s share price fell 7.5% during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $44.43 and last traded at $43.87. 43,287 shares were traded during mid-day 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 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 Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $980.14 million, a P/E ratio of 27.23 and a beta of 1.43. The business has a 50-day moving average of $42.70 and a 200 day moving average of $34.88. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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%. On average, sell-side analysts predict 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 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.12%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.57%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Charity Isely sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.73, for a total value of $87,460.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 12,290 shares in the company, valued at $537,441.70. The trade was a 14.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Lark Isely sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 owns 8,682 shares in the company, valued at $387,738.12. The trade was a 31.54 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 58.80% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of 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 worth $213,000 after buying an additional 228 shares during the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 33.3% in the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 2,301 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $91,000 after purchasing an additional 575 shares during the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake 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 valued at $615,000 after purchasing an additional 675 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 31.99% of the company’s stock.

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.