O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC Lowers Stock Holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC)

O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC cut its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) by 5.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 58,114 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 3,056 shares during the quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.25% of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage worth $2,308,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of NGVC. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Human Investing LLC bought a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the 4th quarter worth $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 valued at $91,000 after buying an additional 575 shares during the period. Virtus Investment Advisers Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the third quarter valued at about $126,000. Finally, PFG Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the fourth quarter worth about $224,000. Institutional investors own 31.99% of the company’s stock.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:NGVC opened at $41.05 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $42.40 and a 200 day moving average of $37.72. The company has a quick ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The company has a market capitalization of $941.32 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.15 and a beta of 1.34. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has a 52 week low of $15.82 and a 52 week high of $50.91.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.57%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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 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.