Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Share Price Passes Above 200-Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $28.87 and traded as high as $40.36. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage shares last traded at $40.30, with a volume of 81,876 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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, November 22nd.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The company has a market capitalization of $899.75 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.54 and a beta of 1.40. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $36.95 and a 200-day simple moving average of $29.08.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 18th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd were issued a $0.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 2nd. This is a positive change from Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.22%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s payout ratio is 32.43%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Lark Isely sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.66, for a total transaction of $178,640.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 8,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $387,738.12. The trade was a 31.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Charity Isely sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.73, for a total transaction of $87,460.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 12,290 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $537,441.70. This represents a 14.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 59.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC boosted its position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 64.7% during the third quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 449,007 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $13,331,000 after buying an additional 176,361 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. boosted 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 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 third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 219,301 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $6,513,000 after purchasing an additional 22,413 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 75.5% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 49,410 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,467,000 after purchasing an additional 21,257 shares during the period. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC acquired a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the second quarter worth about $353,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 31.99% of the company’s stock.

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.