Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Shares Gap Down to $29.44

Shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $29.44, but opened at $28.75. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage shares last traded at $27.85, with a volume of 20,448 shares.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Down 10.5 %

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 stock has a market cap of $600.34 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.68 and a beta of 1.21. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $26.09 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $21.88.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The specialty retailer reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $309.08 million for the quarter. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a net margin of 2.54% and a return on equity of 18.89%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 18th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd were issued a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.52%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.75%.

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 stock. Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 49.3% in the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 43,437 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $921,000 after buying an additional 14,338 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC purchased a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $353,000. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 28.3% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 304,382 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $6,453,000 after buying an additional 67,187 shares during the last quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management raised its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 21.0% during the 2nd quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 28,655 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $607,000 after buying an additional 4,980 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Panagora Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 14.4% during the 2nd quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 57,533 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,220,000 after purchasing an additional 7,254 shares in the last quarter. 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.