Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Trading Down 5.2% – Should You Sell?

Shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) were down 5.2% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $44.32 and last traded at $44.52. Approximately 48,705 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 36% from the average daily volume of 76,089 shares. The stock had previously closed at $46.98.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.18. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $29.72 and a 200-day simple moving average of $25.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.04 billion, a PE ratio of 30.08 and a beta of 1.23.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 18th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd will be issued a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.05%. This is an increase from Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 2nd. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s dividend payout ratio is presently 32.43%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 0.5% in 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 buying an additional 937 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its holdings in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 3.2% in the third quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 36,781 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,092,000 after buying an additional 1,150 shares during the period. EntryPoint Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the first quarter worth approximately $36,000. State Street Corp increased its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 193,350 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $5,741,000 after purchasing an additional 1,983 shares during the period. Finally, Martingale Asset Management L P increased its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 24.3% during the 3rd quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P now owns 13,312 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $395,000 after purchasing an additional 2,600 shares during the period. 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.