Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Raised to “Strong-Buy” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report released on Friday morning.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NGVC opened at $45.57 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.18. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has a 12 month low of $14.31 and a 12 month high of $45.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.79 and a beta of 1.23. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $29.03 and its 200 day moving average price is $25.04.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 18th. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd will be given a $0.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 2nd. This is a boost from Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.05%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s dividend payout ratio is 27.03%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 636,658 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $11,492,000 after purchasing an additional 3,375 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 28.3% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 304,382 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $6,453,000 after acquiring an additional 67,187 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 11.4% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 219,301 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $6,513,000 after purchasing an additional 22,413 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 1.0% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 193,350 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $5,741,000 after purchasing an additional 1,983 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 0.5% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 178,328 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $3,781,000 after purchasing an additional 937 shares during the last quarter. 31.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.